(Being A paper delivered on the9th of July 2019

at the Orientation Course for

Newly appointed Magistrates at the National Judicial Institute, Abuja.)

By: Mrs A.B. Olagbegi-Adelabu ACIArb

(Chief Magistrate)

CHAIRMAN, MAGISTRATES’ ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA, LAGOS STATE BRANCH.1

INTRODUCTION

I am greatly honoured and owe a huge debt of gratitude to the National Judicial Institute. I acknowledge and thank the Administrator Hon. Justice R.P.I. Bozimo, OFR for this unique opportunity and the privilege to serve as a resource person. The opportunity to research, as well as the experience I gained has profoundly contributed to my intellectual capital. Your Lordship’s vision for continuing Judicial Education in Nigeria will surely stabilize the ship of our judicial system through the storm; and my prayer is that your Lordship will finish well.

I am grateful to my Lord the Honourable Chief Judge of Lagos State Hon. Mr Justice Kazeem Olanrewaju Alogba for granting me permission to be a worthy ambassador of the Lagos Sate Judiciary, by serving as a resource person here at the National Judicial Institute. It is indeed my privilege to have been assigned the task of sharing my views with my distinguished colleagues; your Honors and your Worships of the Nigerian Magistracy on the topic “The Art of Judgment Writing in the Magistrate Court ”.

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AIM OF THIS PAPER

The aim of this paper is to examine briefly the rudiments of the Art of writing Judgments in the Magistrate Court. It will also discuss how the synergy between attitude to work and hearing the cases will ensure that, the quality of the judgment delivered will not only improve the justice delivery system, it will improve the inter-governmental relations in our country and also impact the nation. Justice will not just be done, our artistic judgments will reveal that justice is being done, and it will be seen to be done.

It is undisputed that generally, the purpose of sharing thoughts with colleagues is introspection and recapitulations, resulting in refreshing our mutual knowledge and understanding, which is essential for the development of our profession. I am indeed most humbled by this privilege, to be called upon to be part of this intellectual convocation, with our colleagues from across the nation.

In as much as this paper is going to reinforce what we already know, it is also going to expose us to what we need to know, because learning is dynamic. 1

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WHAT IS A JUDGMENT? --

Judgment refers to the official pronouncement of the court which forms part of the court’s

records and is available for consideration and analysis for years to come. A Judgment or

Order of a Magistrate is to literally interpret the law and do substantial justice in the instant

case, without fear or favor to all. “Judgment is the most important document for the parties

as well as the Judge (or Magistrate) and more important for the Judge (or Magistrate) are the

reasons in support of his Judgment. Clear thinking is the key to clear writing. A clearly

expressed Judgment demonstrates the interest of the subject and the exposition of legal

reasoning. Reasons given by a Judge (or Magistrate) in a Judgment indicate the working

of his mind, his approach, his grasp of the questions of fact and law involved in the case

and the depth of his knowledge of law. In short, the judgment reflects the personality of

the Judge (or Magistrate) and, therefore, it is necessary that it should be written with care

and after mature reflection”. 2

“The driving force of any civilized society is their judicial system, hence, turning out well

reasoned judgments in the Magistracy connotes Judicial productivity. This is a blue print for

ensuring grassroot reforms, by creating and sustaining public confidence in the way Justice is

administered in the Magistrate courts. Therefore it is imperative to ascertain early that

producing well reasoned judgments is not only a statutory requirement, it is a great

responsibility indeed”.3

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A judgment indicates to the parties and the society at large that the Magistrate who

heard the matter has made a decision, and communicates the reason (s) for the decision

to society at large, which includes the parties, concerned citizens, including Human

Rights Activists, Government Agencies and the possible Court or Courts of Appeal so to

speak.

The case may have started in the Magistrate Court but appeal may get right up to the

Supreme Court even though the High Court heard the first appeal in the matter. The

initial decision or judgment of the Magistrate Court remains important throughout the

various “Appeal”(s) and is constantly considered by the various courts that hear each

Appeal. The Courts above usually peruse the judgment to consider the REASON (S) for

the decision to ensure justice was done.

Before you start wrestling with the complexities or otherwise of the Art of writing a

good judgment, you need to appreciate the correlation between our attitude generally to

our work as Magistrates, and the art of writing good judgments.

Before the appointment of Honourable Susan Kiefel,the current Chief Justice of

Australia, in January 2017, who by the way is the 13th Chief Justice of Australia and the

first woman to hold that office, the 11th Chief Justice of Australia, Hon'ble Anthony

Murray Gleeson AC, QC stated that there are four aspects of judicial status or

performance, they are Independence, Impartiality, Fairness and Competence.

(our judgments in the magistrate courts should reflect all four)

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INTEGRITY / WORDS OF OATH OF OFFICE

As a Magistrate, I stand here to declare that NOBODY has the price for your integrity,

therefore make it impossible for anyone to buy your conscience. It is pertinent to note that it

is not only money that indicates corruption. Anything that can contaminate the reasoning of the

Judicial Officer is unacceptable, even when it is not for monetary gain, it should be avoided,

because when a problem arises on account of it, the Judicial Officer will be left to answer

alone, and it could be very costly.

Consequently it is imperative therefore that, a Magistrate should never, render, the kind of

HELP, that will render him HELPLESS. Judgments can be influenced from the stage of

hearing i.e. before writing, while writing, and even after writing. This could be as a result of

pressure from colleagues, friends, family members, politicians, or your superiors on the Job.

Under no condition should you (a Magistrate) allow your relationship with anyone, (whoever

they may be, and no matter how close) make you betray your conscience and thus influence your

decision.

Distinguished participants, I am not oblivious of the fact that not all cases before you will be

concluded as a well-considered judgment; hopefully some will go for ADR, particularly

mediation, others will simply file terms of settlement themselves unsolicited, while others will

proceed to trial and ultimately judgment. Therefore, since every pronouncement of a Magistrate

in court is either a Ruling, Judgment or Order of some sort, Magistrates are constantly writing

judgments albeit not contested or lengthy, yet fully imbibed with the force of law since they are

to either be complied with or appealed against.

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CASE MANAGEMENT-

A Magistrate needs to decide which cases are suitable for ADR etc so as to

differentiate them from the ones that are keenly contested and likely to go to trial

and be decided by a Judgment on the merits. I call it case management to search

for the needle in the hay sack. Once that is done the Magistrate who would

otherwise have had to write 30 Judgments in one month may only need to write

eight or ten if these measures are put in place. If a magistrate has fewer judgments

to write, he or she will be able to focus on each file and do justice as appropriate in

the circumstance of each case.

“The phenomenal rise in the number of court cases on account of population

explosion, greater public awareness of rights, dynamics of a new market economy,

increase in and growth of commercial litigations have among others brought and

continue to bring pressure on the traditional and adjudicative means of resolving

disputes” 4

“A good judgment not only decides the issues in controversy between the parties. It

can also be a veritable source of information and knowledge. Mindful of the fact

that it can be a daunting task, we shall endeavor in this paper to draw

attention to useful guides that can help in improving the quality of judgments

that issue from our courts.” 5

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WHY MAGISTRATES’ NEED TO WRITE REASONED JUDGMENTS

“Producing well written reasoned judgments is the goal of all members of the bench. Badly

written Rulings can have significant legal consequences for both the parties (who may incur

costs as a result of a need to appeal a poorly worded decision or opinion) and society as a whole,

since a poorly drafted Precedent may drive the law in an unanticipated and unfortunate direction

or lead to increased litigation as individuals attempt to define the parameters of an ambiguous

new ruling. As a result helping judges write decisions and opinions that are coherent and clear

would appear fundamentally important to the proper administration of justice.” 6

Some authorities have suggested that “Judicial Education” should be considered part of a

judges continuing ethical duty. See National Judicial Education program.

“Most common law countries including United States do not have career judges who are given

instruction in writing judicial rulings from the earliest days of their legal careers. Judges in civil

law countries are given this sort of early specialized training, instead most common law

countries have inherited the English traditions of selecting judges from a pool of experienced

lawyers who are considered competent to take up their judicial duties immediately, upon

ascending to the bench.

However, the skills associated with judging are significantly different from those associated

with advocacy and new judges (or magistrates) face a very steep learning curve. Nowhere is

this more true, than with respect to the task of learning to write well reasoned decisions and

opinions. As a result, many newly appointed judges (and magistrates) find the move from

advocacy to decision, from marshalling and presenting evidence to fact finding and

synthesizing” to be extremely challenging.” 7

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THE NEED FOR SOUND JUDICIAL EDUCATION

Based on the above premise, it appears imperative for everyone charged with the responsibility of

adjudicating to take cognizance of the task before us, and equip ourselves with “sound Judicial

Education” through research, and attending Conferences and Workshops for personal and professional

development, so that our Judicial system can maintain its relevance as the arbiter of our national

progress.

THE PRIVILEDGE OF ADJUDICATING

As Magistrates, it is both an honour and a privilege, for each one of us to adjudicate over the affairs of

our peers, and naturally be the one that has to decide what comes to others. To whom much is given,

much is however expected, which is why from the onset we need to regularly sharpen our judicial skills

and position ourselves to improve and do better, what we need to be doing well.

I know i speak for all our colleagues when i say “WE MAGISTRATES” “THANK” the Management

and staff of the National Judicial Institute for giving us the opportunity to access additional relevant

judicial skills.

According to Hon. Justice Alfred P.E. Awala, (a former Magistrate) in his book titled “The Nigerian

Magistrate in Action” The “forward” was written by Hon. Justice R.P.I. Bozimo (Mrs), OFR, The

Administrator of the NJI. In the preface, His Lordship stated that,

“I thought it expedient, fit and proper to leave a legacy behind, by sharing my experiences in learning,

wisdom and understanding as a former Magistrate- The purpose of this book.- In my first few years as a

Magistrate and more as a High Court Judge, I had the rare privilege of attending many workshops,

seminars and lectures organized by the (NJI) and there lies the counsel behind this book”8

Based on the foregoing testimony of His lordship, Awala J, it is obvious that as participants at this

Orientation Course for newly appointed Magistrates, your worships and your honors have gained access

to the Judicial Education available at the National Judicial Institute for your crucial, essential

professional and personal Judicial training . Once again, the importance of the work

done by the National Judicial Institute cannot be over emphasized.

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THE PRIVILEGE OF ADJUDICATING INCLUDES WRITING GOOD

JUDGMENTS.

Magistrates are charged with the responsibility of adjudicating over different types of

disputes, regardless of the circumstances of the case, the overwhelming evidence, or non-

availability of evidence for either party. Despite all this, Magistrates have the onerous task

of evaluating the available evidence, even when it is unchallenged, before making a

decision, bearing in mind the fact that our judgments may be appealed against, right up to

the Apex court. Our judgment writing skills are however like muscles which grow

bigger and stronger with use, therefore, thankfully as we discharge our judicial or

magisterial functions, it gets better with practice.

COMMITMENT

A Magistrate’s commitment to writing reasoned judgments should be irrepressible by

people, things or circumstances that sometimes appear to be beyond your control. It could be

grossly unanticipated and inconvenient yet your commitment keeps you going. I said that,

to say this, for the avoidance of doubt, a Magistrate has to be committed to writing reasoned

Judgments. The principle according to Blackburn J is that, Justice should not only be done

it should manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done. 9

The judgments Magistrates deliver, display the Justice we do, therefore it is imperative

that we are committed to writing reasoned judgments, which is in effect

“Justice delivery”at its ultimate.

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ACCOUNTABILITY

Lagos as a case study or test case :

Monthly return of cases disposed of by Magistrates.

The Lagos State Judicial Service Commission requires that Magistrates submit monthly

returns of cases disposed of in their courts as well as copies of the judgments delivered

during that period. Accordingly even if a Magistrate does not want to write judgments, in

Lagos state it is not just a statutory requirement, it is the key to magisterial promotion and

I’m sure the same is applicable in other jurisdictions and states across the country,

especially in the light of the current judicial reforms. To be candid, your judgments are

the only proof that you worked that month.

How can a Magistrate convince the Judicial Service Commission that he handled numerous

cases daily if he or she does not have judgments to show for it. Your daily long list of

cases, have no evidential value before them. It is the certified true copies of your

judgments that speak for themselves.

Furthermore, it is also very important for a Magistrate to write well-thought -out judgments

because it is a requirement for consideration for the higher bench and even as a High Court

Judge the National Judicial Council requires that Judges deliver well reasoned Judgments.

Therefore, if you are already accustomed to writing reasoned judgments as a Magistrate, it

will be easy for you to comply with the NJC requirements upon your appointment to the

higher bench. A word is enough for the wise.

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When describing British Judges, Sir Winston Churchill said:

“There is nothing like them in our land. They have to interpret the law according

to their learning and conscience. They are distinguishable from the great offices of

the state and the other servants of the executives, high and low; from leaders of

commerce and industry. The British Judiciary with its traditions and records is

one of the greatest living assets of our race and people and its independence part

of our message to the ever growing world that is rising swiftly around us.”

It was also the wise former British Prime Minister who said “It is no use saying

we are doing our best, you have got to succeed in doing what is necessary”

In view of the above statements, I challenge every magistrate here to ensure that,

our pronouncements from the courts generally will display to the public that we,

the Nigerian Magistracy / Judiciary, are indeed one of the greatest living assets of

the African race and people. We too have to live up to expectation so that our

Heads of Courts, and indeed our Nation’s President will acknowledge us one day

in the very near future, simply because our judgments are considered a work of

“ART” that are helping us (the Judiciary) succeed in doing what is necessary,

which as a results impacts the nation.

With the above principle in mind, let us proceed to the topic of

the day.

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How can a Magistrate ensure that his Judgment is a work of ART ?

ART & SCIENCE !

Indeed some have asserted that judgment writing is not only an ART but also a SCIENCE

which means we have the art and science of judgment writing !10

In my humble opinion, Judgment Writing as an ART reveals the judgment as not only

purposeful, but also impacting society at large who watch in admiration as Justice is

not only done it is seen to be done.

ATTITUDE TO WORK

The first step in writing good judgments in the Magistrate Court is attitude to our work. It is important

to get to court on time, Sit regularly and punctually, so as to achieve the Work Target set. A Magistrate

has to study each file before sitting, so as to be able to understand the issues and think on his feet to

make the appropriate Bench ruling promptly if need be, being a court of summary jurisdiction. To

achieve prompt disposition of our court work, we need to devote adequate time to our magisterial duties

and be expeditious in determining the cases before us, since Justice delayed is Justice denied.

To write good judgments, we need both personal and professional empowerment. “Professional

empowerment” is adequately catered for by the NJI while the “personal empowerment” has to do with

“attitude to our work”, which must be consistent with the level of responsibility inherent in our position

as Magistrates. Whether we like it or not, ones attitude to work will be perceived in the quality of

the judgments we deliver, much more than how long we have been on the job .

Your Worships and Your Honours of the Nigerian Magistracy, what I owe myself is to give it my

best shot, I believe you owe yourself the same thing too, because when facing a mirror, the person

you see in the mirror is either “your enemy” or “your best friend”. Therefore have a virtual Coach in

your mind, be your own Personal driver and push yourself further to do what is necessary.

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BE OBSERVANT AND PREPARED: While taking evidence the Magistrate should observe

the salient points that prove the case (If any) which will be very relevant later on when she

intends to put her thoughts down on paper. It makes judgment writing faster when you

prepare and success will be inevitable as everything will be “Top Notch” when you prepare

very well. Lack of adequate and proper preparation is preparation to fail, since this is a

gathering of wise men and women “ A word is enough for the wise”

AVOID PROCASTINATION: There must generally be no tardiness, or last minute rush due

to procastination or laziness which causes a lot of omisions and results in disjointed reasoning.

A Magistrate has to consider the work load and the required timing for judgments as

stipulated by the Magistrate Court Law of his state or territory.

COMPLY WITH THE RULES OF WRITING GOOD JUDGMENTS. It is also advisable

to stay within the parameters of the fundamentals of writing good judgments as laid down by

the Apex court in civil or criminal matters as stipulated by the doctrine of Stare Decisis /

Judicial Precedent.

CONFORM WITH THE TIMING OF A JUDGMENT : It is clear that the 90 days rule

that is applicable to superior courts of record, may be applicable in most magistrate courts if

their state law permits. A Magistrate Court is however not expected to go beyond the 90

days, but remain within the parameters dictated by the rules of that Magistrate Court as long

as it is not contested in a court of law.

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JUDGMENT WRITING POWERS CANNOT BE DELEGATED

JUDGMENT MUST BE WRITTEN BY THE PRESIDING MAGISTRATE

Generally speaking every pronouncement of a court is a judgment of some sort since the court is not

supposed to indulge in discussions with counsel. The writing culture is however fast eroding,

nevertheless, judgment is required by law to be in writing, regardless of global technological

advancement. A valid judgment under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act must be in writing, 11

however where Magistrate Courts are concerned the ACJ Act makes an exception to this requirement.

“The Magistrate instead of writing the judgment may record briefly in the book his decision or finding

and his REASON for the decision or finding and then deliver an oral judgment.” 12

“Another Judge or Magistrate may deliver a judgment if it has been reduced into writing and signed but

the magistrate who tried the case is unavoidably absent on the date it should be delivered”.13

It is trite that a Magistrate cannot delegate His Judgment writing Powers. You cannot ask someone else

to write your judgment for you. Even if the person is your parent, spouse, sibling or friend who is either

a Lawyer, Magistrate, Judge or Justice. Your Judgment is supposed to be your own: your own thoughts,

your own reasoning, your own discretion, your own judges or magistrates instincts and your own

perception. It is supposed to be derived from your own knowledge of the facts and evidence before

YOU. It is now undisputed that our Judgments are forever recorded and now possibly available

worldwide due to the advent of technological advancement which makes our rulings and judgments

accessible and readable on the internet.

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Check your name on the internet, some of your rulings or judgments are there, you may be

pleasantly surprised or even shocked because sometimes the rulings and judgments are not

accurately reported.

You therefore cannot run away from “your judgments” or those attributed to you, and your

conscience will forever disturb you wherever you may be in the world, if Justice was not done, or the

Judgment is overturned on appeal, and you happen to agree with the reasoning of the court above.

What will be your response? That you were not the one who wrote it? Will you apologize and say

you regret that act? Who will you apologize to?- the parties ?, your Head of Court ? your

embarrassed family members ? or even yourself ?. What do you say ? if you had known, if only !!!

Or can you state categorically that you were negatively influenced by the opinion of the person who

helped you to write the Judgment ?

The point is that, there is something about sitting in court which is a rare privilege that a Magistrate

has. It is indeed a rare privilege to sit in court to preside over proceedings, listen to the

evidence, the arguments, the submission of parties, the testimony of witnesses and the cross

examination of witnesses by seasoned advocates who display unparalleled advocacy. It is also a rare

privilege because there is a tendency that as the presiding Magistrate you will hear the

unspoken aspect of their testimony which you will grasp through the tone of voice, body

language, use of words and the general demeanor of witnesses, which is revealed by their

struggle to put their facts together to convince YOU the court .Furthermore, there are about 180

million Nigerians, yet Judicial officers do not even constitute one percent of that

figure, therefore it is indeed from that perspective also a very rare privilege to be a member of the

bench in Nigeria.

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MAKING IMPACT THROUGH JUDGEMENT WRITING

Since this is an Orientation course for newly appointed Magistrates, the participants may have acquired,

little or different levels of Judicial experience. Nevertheless, the focus is not on simply scribbling our

opinions as counsel do regularly before us, but on how what we scribble down, will impact both our

listeners and the readers better. Thus not only will it give them a clear understanding of the case and

our decision, it will provide a unique platform to enable the reader retain what he learned, and apply it,

which will in turn impact the society.

DO NOT BE AFRAID TO MAKE A MISTAKE

Many judgments do not get written on time or written at all, because the writer, the proposed author,

(the magistrate) is afraid of making a mistake. Do not be afraid of making a mistake, even if you are

sitting on appeal, considering the judgment of the customary court or whatever kind of case. Sincerely

those words should be engraved in gold, and hung in the chambers of all Magistrates especially, being a

court of summary jurisdiction, where you may take oral applications spontaneously, which do not

constitute springing surprise on the other side, and the court’s jurisdiction permits it. In addition, a

Magistrate may need to give numerous bench rulings during the course of one day’s sitting, therefore a

Magistrate cannot afford to be afraid of making a mistake, as that will result in granting unnecessary

adjournments for rulings on mundane points of law.

It has been discovered that many judgments do not get written promptly, mostly because the proposed

author and writer, i.e. the magistrate who heard the matter from inception to its logical conclusion, is in

fact too terrified even petrified sometimes to put pen to paper and analyze the evidence before him, in

clear well thought out reasoning, because of the possibility of Learned Counsel, writing a petition

against him, instead of filing a notice of appeal.

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For the avoidance of doubt let it be known, that filing a notice of appeal against your ruling

or judgment does not mean the ruling or judgment is not good -that is the prerogative of the

litigants and their counsel, since someone will lose while the other wins.

It is desired that if they go on appeal, our judgments should be upheld in the Courts above

and not overturned or set aside by the High Court sitting on appeal, but as much as we

desire that our judgments be upheld by the High Court, there are numerous authorities

where the High court overturned decisions of a Magistrate Court, but on appeal the Court of

Appeal or the Apex Court, the Supreme Court overturned the decision of the High Court

and upheld that of the Magistrate.14

Therefore, remember it is not over until it is over, we are developing the law, as we

interpret it in our courtrooms on a daily basis, and even though the Magistrate does not

claim to be the custodian of all knowledge or an epitome of wisdom, yet there is no harm

in trying to do your best in whatever circumstance you find yourself.

I truly wonder where the issue of fear emanated from, especially in circumstances where it

is clear, that the major reason why the judgment of a Magistrate Court or any other Court

may be set aside, that could cause maximum embarrassment to the court or presiding

Magistrate is when there has been a miscarriage of justice.

“Miscarriage of justice can be said to be such a departure from the rules which permeate

all judicial process as to make what happened not in the proper sense of the word judicial

procedure at all. …It is enough if what is done is not justice according to law” 15

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Thus, there is not much to worry about, if you ensure that you have jurisdiction to hear and

determine the matter before proceeding to hear same, and if you apply the law to the facts,

after evaluating the evidence before you.

All other reasons for setting aside a judgment or overturning it on appeal are not an

embarrassment to the magistrate, but a way of doing justice in those peculiar circumstances,

and granting the defendant (who probably was not available during the actual proceedings)

access to justice.

An Indian author explains that a judgment is not a piece of literature to be written in the

style of Shakespeare or Milton but its language should be simple, yet elegant, containing

phrases and expressions which convey with lucidity the legal ideas to the reader.

“A poor judgment written in impressive language is lauded by many, of course by people

who do not understand law.”

Judgments are not novels or dramatic works so as to bring out the various aspects of human

psychology in minute details leading to an emotional climax. They should be just cut and

dried statements of facts and law, interwoven in logic, in order to get at the truth, but

no material fact should be omitted. Language is a medium for conveying one’s

thoughts and it is essential that they should be conveyed in a manner which is lucid as

well as impressive”. 16

“Judgment writing is a skill that can be learned, practiced, improved and refined. A well

structured Judgment enhances clarity and Conciseness and helps ensure the reasoning

process is complete.” 17

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Definition of the ART of Judgment Writing

An octogenarian once said “success is when you look back at your life and the memories make you

smile”. Similarly, in my humble opinion, the Art of Judgment Writing is on display when you and I

(the author / judgment writer) read our own judgment, or when someone else who is a stakeholder e.g.

A party to the proceedings, counsel, Government functionary, or even a meddlesome interloper, so to

speak, or any concerned citizen, hears or reads the same judgment and smiles, knowing fully well that

Justice was not only done, it was SEEN to have been done. Now that’s ART.

Our judgments become a work of ART or ARTISTIC when justice is glaring, then it is such a beautiful

sight to behold, and it is definitely “worth listening to and also worth reading”. People generally

admire a work of Art. ART, in whatever form, be it, a beautiful artistic painting, flower arrangement, a

good book or a “beautiful judgment”. Yes, indeed a judgment can be said to be beautiful. What makes

a judgment “a work of Art” looming above every other aspect is “Doing Justice”. Whenever the

listener or reader sees clearly, from the facts of the case and the application of the relevant law, that

justice was done, he or she considers it a BEAUTIFUL JUDGMENT, A WORK OF ART ! As it is

said “Justice must not just be done it must be seen to have been done”

AUDIENCE OF A JUDGMENT WRITER:

If Judgment Writing is considered a work of “ART” it is obvious then that there has to be an audience

that this kind of Art appeals to !

LITIGANTS: Most Litigants are ferociously interested in their cases and particularly in the outcome

of the case. They therefore in all circumstances need to comprehend, the rudiments of the decision

making. They are usually particularly interested in knowing, how the Court arrived at its decision.

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POSSIBLE COURT(S) OF APPEAL -

Naturally if the matter goes on appeal, a copy of the judgment appealed against, will form part of the records. The High

court will consider the reasons for the decision, and decide whether in its opinion, justice was done, and then give

reasons for its own decision. If the judgment on appeal from the Magistrate Court to the High Court (Now a decision of

the High Court) is also appealed against, the Court of appeal will have two sets of judgments to consider the reasons

why they were decided. If the decision of the Court of Appeal is also contested, the Supreme Court will have three sets

of Judgments to consider the reasons they were decided, all in the records.

LEGAL PRACTITIONERS/ LAW STUDENTS : The

Magistrate Court is not a superior Court of record, yet legal practitioners use our decisions as precedents, which usually

form the basis for future applications, premised on the possible outcome as stipulated by the reasons for the decision.

The Law Students are also lectured on practice and procedure in the Magistrate Court, which forms a bulk of their

coursework in the Nigerian Law School. They also have to do Court Attachment to either a Magistrate Court or High

Court as a compulsory prerequisite, to writing the Bar Finals Examination. Thus obviously while in court, they will

witness countless considered rulings and judgments, and also have access to those previously decided.

ARMS OF GOVERNMENT : SEPARATION OF POWERS : The Executive as well as the Legislative arms of

government are usually interested audiences whenever a judgment is delivered. This is mainly because the Courts

usually interpret their laws, or in some cases create “new Judge made laws” which they will have to draft bills to ensure

the principle is passed into law as either an act of the Federation or a law of a State or the F.C.T..

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC : Members of the public in the society at large are a keen audience of a judgment

writer. Many members of the public who would usually have already conducted a media trial on the point in issue, and

who would have made their own decision, which is usually not based on evidence before the court, certainly feel the

need to be sure that, if the tables were turned and they find themselves in the shoes of the litigants, their hopes and

aspirations or their interest will be taken care of. The public need to be convinced that their hopes will not be dashed

like the waves of the ocean splashing on the rocks on the beach. They therefore scrutinize judgments to see that justice

was done! Simply listen to the radio or read comments on the internet every time the

decision of a magistrate court is reported in the news.

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CLARITY AND ACCURACY ARE ESSENTIAL

The audience of a judgment writer deserve to read, listen to and live by good judgments that are indeed a

work of Art. Our judgments should be a clear and accurate description of our decision, with the

rudiments of the reasons for the decision, based on our evaluation of the evidence before the court.

Throw off every mindset that trains you to be verbose, repetitive and ambiguous. Sometimes when

trying to impress the audience, a judgment writer may lose his way in the maze he himself created ! and

forget the point he intended to make, leaving the judgment disjointed, difficult to follow and un-

intelligible.

IDIOSYNCRASY

Judgment writing to a large extent, is based on individual Idiosyncrasy guided by the rule of law. The

general principle is that even when exercising our discretion, it should be exercised judicially and

judiciously, strictly in line with the position of the applicable law and the evidence before the court.

It is however observed that even when given the same set of evidence, four magistrates may, or may not

arrive at the same conclusion, the same way four different lawyers with the same set of evidence may

make varying submissions. This could be gender based, or based on the social status of the individual.

Thus Male, female, a parent or single person, different things that make up the person may find a way

into their peculiar style, based on individual idiosyncrasy . * It is also possible that even if they all

arrive at the same conclusion for obvious reasons, their individual reasons for deciding may also vary,

which though acceptable is somehow worrisome. There are however numerous authorities to the

effect that the judgment of a court should be based on the evidence before the court and not on

sentiment or other extraneous facts.

In S v MAFU & Ors (a south African case) 6-18 There the convictions and sentences imposed by the trial

court on the appellants, was set aside on appeal, and the appellants were all acquited of charges, due to

findings that, the learned trial judge was so emotionally connected to the case, that he was perceived to

have descended into the arena of conflict, thus giving a bias judgment.

23

ESSENTIALS OF JUDGMENT WRITING IN THE MAGISTRATE COURT 19

What are the essentials of or requirements for Judgment writing in the Magistrate Court ? What are the

Attributes of a good judgment ?

Attributes of a good Judgment 20

All the attributes of a good judgment as set out by His Lordship Hon Justice Niki Tobi JSC as he then was in

his book The Nigerian Judge are applicable to writing judgments in a Magistrate court.

I LANGUAGE AND STYLE - COMMUNICATION

The language of the Magistrate Court all across the nation is the English Language though interpreters are used

more frequently in different courts where parties prefer to speak vernacular. Furthermore the language of the

judgments the Magistrates write is also the English language. It is therefore indisputable that mastery of the

English language is essential not just for the advocate that has to present his case to the court and persuade the

court to decide in favour of his client, it is also paramount and essential for the Magistrate who will rule, to

have or develop mastery of the English language. We studied Law in English language, practiced the law in

English language, and now as Magistrates we write and read our rulings and judgments in the same English

language. It’s no wonder English Language and Literature are compulsory subjects for secondary school

students who intend to study LAW.

Lord Denning Master of Rolls Speaking about English Judges and their mastery of the English language as

presented in their Judgments said

“They give their judgments by word of mouth. These judgments have been taken down and recorded in our law

books for nearly 700 years. There are to be found there full, many gem of purest rare serene. When great issues

have been at stake, the judgments are marked by eloquence, wisdom and authority. They have laid the

foundation for freedom in our land. Judges do not speak as actors do - to please. They do not speak as

historians do - to recount the past. They do not speak as advocates do- to persuade. They speak to give

judgment. And in their judgments you will find passages which are worthy to rank with the great

literature which England holds”

24

The whole world knows a Nigerian won The Nobel peace prize for literature at some point,

therefore it is not in dispute that we also rank among the highest for literary works worldwide

including erudite Judgments that are now available in Law Reports on the internet.

Consequently, that statement attributed to Lord Denning Master of Rolls is applicable to our

own Magistrates who are judges of the Magistrate Court as well as Judges of our Superior

Courts of record. Accordingly since we realize that our judgments are for life and are now

readily available to people all over the world, through the advent of technological

advancement, the importance of good communication skills as per the effective use of the

English language in our judgment writing cannot be over emphasized.

This is also the case, because the English language is the vehicle that you need to convey and

reveal your reasoning in your judgment. Our language skills i.e. the combination of our

ability to understand the totality of the oral, documentary and electronically generated

evidence before the honourable court, particularly the testimony of the witnesses, and the

submission of counsel including their final addresses, the style and prose we adopt while

writing the Judgment, and thereafter the eloquence on display while reading the judgment in

open court. The English language is the vehicle that helps you convey your judgment to its

destination which is evidently “doing Justice”.

25

In his Paper on Judicial Ethics delivered on the 1st of December 2010 at the NJI workshop

for Judges of the Lower Courts in Nigeria which I had the privilege to attend.

Hon Justice I.A. Umezulike OFR Chief Judge Enugu State (as he then was) had this to say

and i quote

“Neither in the discussions in court nor in the judgments should any inadequacy be located

in the use of English Language. To succeed on the bench we must cultivate the command of

the English language, not Latin vocabulary. We say so because the days of bespating our

judgments with convoluted Latin words are over. Judges and Magistrates must remember

that their judgments live forever. They must know something about the arrangement of

English words, their beauty, their meaning, their association and above all the use that has

been made of them by the great masters of English language such as Shakespeare, Bacon,

Chaucer and others.” 21

Judgment writing as an art is a natural gift to some while for many of us, it needs to be

cultivated. The first requisite is a good command of the language in which the judgment is

written. Howsoever correct, a judgment may be on law and facts, it does not make a good

impression when it is couched in poor language. Language is a medium for conveying

one’s thoughts and it is essential that they should be conveyed in a manner which is lucid as

well as impressive. The language should, however, be simple. Bombastic or flowery words

and expressions, even though literary should be avoided. The test is that a person well-

versed in law should not ordinarily be required to consult a

dictionary.

26

The art of judgment writing is also a technical way of creating the fourth man in the fiery furnace. The fourth

man was responsible for the security and protection of the people in the fiery furnace against the wish of their

oppressor. ** Daniel 3: 25, see verses 14-30 for the historical account. So is the Magistrate to the victim of

crime, or the claimant or defendant in a civil case for breach of contract or whatever claim or counter claim as

the case may be.

The ART we mean here is not necessarily only the language and style of writing i.e. Prose, imagery, etc

because even without such frills, that can turn a judgment into a literary piece, as long as justice is done the

“beauty of the judgment” will be seen. “The law is well settled that the judgment of a court which must

demonstrate, a thorough and painstaking reflection, and balancing of the case of the parties, cannot be vitiated

simply because of the style of writing” 22 Judgment should therefore be written in the language that a

common man can understand. It requires that you paint the picture of the case with the common elements

around us.

”.Language is no less the tool of a Judge... And he should therefore not find the language strange in applying it

in the performance of his judicial functions...

One way of developing a mastery of the language of the law is to create a habit of READING JUDGMENTS

of erudite judges. Reading such judgments daily will help us develop our personal style, and writing the formal

legalistic terms will come naturally.

“The language and style of writing a judgment must be precise, concise, and simple. It should not be

bombastic, fluid and vague. The language and style should be clear and terse. Clarity is a major requirement

of a good judgment. The language and style should flow in some sequence and order. Short sentences are

preferred to long tedious and rigmarole sentences. ..The language must be succinct, hard, but must be courteous

and polite. There is no need to cast aspersions or insults, however discreet these may be on counsel or the trial

judge as the case may be”..... “The language and style should be presented in such a way as

to avoid confusions and complications in the legal arguments advanced by counsel.

...

27

A trial judge must be exact in the development and presentation of the facts of the case and

his legal arguments so that an appellate judge will not be left in helpless speculation as to the

real contents of the judgment”. ...”Above all a judge (or magistrate- emphasis mine) should

try as much as possible to sound relevant in his language and style. He should address his

mind, armed with terse language, specifically and unequivocally to the issue or issues

involved in the matter before him”23

In my opinion the long and short of it is that, the courtroom could be regarded as a theatre of

“Word War” and if you are not careful as a Magistrate, when writing your judgment, you

could be the casualty when there is a petition against you or, a litigant appeals against your

decision “on the ground that there was a miscarriage of justice”!

Obviously to communicate this principle of law i.e. That “justice must not just be done, it

must be seen to have been done” the language is essential. The linguistic ability and style

used in writing the judgment will help hit home the point being made with clarity and

certainty.

28

II Research-

“A good judgment should show evidence of purposeful and relevant research.. There is no hard and fast rule

on the number of authorities a Judge (or magistrate) can cite in his judgment. It is advisable not to load your

judgment with irrelevant authorities in a dogged determination to impress an appellate court that so much

learning has gone into the judgment”.-24 There are apparently numerous research materials on “how not

to write judgments “than how to actually write them”. Though there are no exhaustive guidelines for

writing judgments since there is no “One size fits all” yet there are recognised essentials of a good judgment

that have to be visible, within any valid judgment.

In David Omotola & ORS v The State, the Supreme Court held as follows:

“ It seems to me that the manner in which a judgment is to be written cannot be made universal to

judges (or Magistrates) emphasis mine. Each judge (or magistrate, emphasis mine) has his own style and

each case often calls for an approach considered most useful to make the particular judgment good enough

for the occasion. The important thing is that all the known elements in a good judgment must be

incorporated”25

In ABDULLAHI v STATE 67-26 the Supreme Court stated thus :

“The writing of judgment is an art. Although each judge is free to follow his own style to produce a

good judgment, it is very essential that

a judge must show a clear understanding of the facts of the case, the issues involved, the law

applicable,

draw the right conclusion and make a correct finding on the credible evidence before him.

Therefore in writing a judgment, the underlying factor is fairness to the parties, in order to avoid anything

that may infer biasness or would result in any miscarriage of justice. It is important for a judge to maintain in

court a demeanor which gives parties an assurance that their case will be heard and judgment given on its

merits and not according to some personal emotional predisposition on the part of the judge”.

29

PREPARING TO WRITE YOUR JUDGMENT :

INTRIGUES EXPOSED BY RESEARCH

When hearing submissions some lawyers who appear before the magistrate court cite non existing case

law as authorities and I have spent hours in the library trying to locate them only to discover it’s a

fallacy. I have also discovered that many times when a Lawyer cites a case as authority on a point, it

might not even be the relevant or the appropriate authority. I have however learnt a lot from researching

the cases cited and I used my findings in my rulings and judgments as it also remains useful for future

cases. Initially, I thought maybe the Lawyers who indulged in such practices do not know the law,

but contrarily, i discovered that they thought they could do that because the Magistrate may be too

lazy to research and find out its false.

JUDGMENTS ARE PUBLISHED WORKS OF MAGISTRATES

Our judgments are published works of each magistrate. It will be easier for

a magistrate or judge to author a book than for other people because of the magnitude of work and

research that goes into Judgment Writing and we sometimes don’t even realize it. In effect every

judgment authored by a magistrate is a published work.

It is like a story you have written, a prose, you are telling the world about a true life incidence that

happened and how you resolved it or how justice prevailed. The contents of certified true copies of many

judgments have been turned into movies and plays just like the works of play wrights. Believe it or not

the Magistrate writing a judgment is like a narrator summarizing the events that transpired e.g. the

evidence of witnesses and then analyzing the evidence and the applicable law and arriving at the just and

appropriate conclusion which is open to all to see how he or she arrived at that destination.

30

III CREATIVITY AND THE RULE OF STARE DECISIS

In his paper titled “The Art of Writing Judgments* Hon’ble Shri M. A. Bakshi, Vice President, ITAT,

Chandigarh Bench stated and i quote

“Judgment is not a piece of literature to be written in the style of Shakespeare or Milton. It is an essay or

a composition intended to convey to a lawyer of average ability the reasons of the Judge for arriving at

certain conclusions of facts and law and the principles underlying the relevant statutory provisions or the

judicial decisions on which the decision is based. In short, the language should be simple, yet elegant,

containing phrases and expressions which convey with lucidity the legal ideas to the reader. The legal

terms, expressions and Latin maxims which are well-known may, however, be freely used because the

primary object of the judgment is to indicate clearly the mind of the Judge both on law and facts. The

language should not be equivocal, vague or susceptible of diverse interpretations.

If we care to read the judgments of the Privy Council and the House of Lords, we would be impressed by

the method in which difficult and complex legal problems are dealt with in simple language.

Judgments are not novels or dramatic works so as to bring out the various aspects of human psychology

in minute details leading to an emotional climax. They should be just cut and dried statements of facts

and law, interwoven in logic, in order to get at the truth, but no material fact should be omitted. There

may be a generalization here or there with a literary flourish but that is all. Judgment demands discipline

in the use of words and expressions; one should not say either more or less than what is strictly

necessary and that too with precision”. In my opinion once a Magistrate ensures that the essential

features of a judgment are present in his judgment even though he also decides to introduce some

linguistic skills and creative abilities using imagery and prose that will aid understanding of the case from

the onset to the conclusion, the judgment would be valid, and it will certainly get the message across

faster than one in which the language is confusing and devoid of style.

31

“Judgment writing is a technical venture which requires skill.. It also requires patience.

Judgment Writing is an art which must be imbibed with time and practice. It is a function

which needs great expertise, an expertise which can only be acquired by very serious

application of a highly organized professional mind... A judge (or magistrate emphasis mine)

needs all the comportment and sound professional knowledge and mind to be able to write a

creative judgment.

Can a judge or magistrate (emphasis mine) in pursuit of creativity run foul of the well

entrenched principles of stare decisis. The answer is straightforward. It is this. He

cannot”68 A Magistrate should not run foul of well entrenched principles of stare

descisis in pursuit of creativity. The maximum creativity permitted is the use of

imagery or a unique linguistic style to aid the understanding of the reader or audience

and not departure from the law.

32

LUCID JUDGMENTS

As we are obviously aware, there are different types of judgments, but what is preferred is a LUCID

JUDGMENT. “A Lucid Judgment is one that is devoid of rigmarole. It addresses the issues in

controversy and applies the law on the determined facts to resolve the issues. This is the pattern that

every judgment is expected to follow, particularly when speedy dispensation of justice is aimed at.”

“Truly when judgment is properly written it can be a delight to read, particularly when there has been a

masterful deploy of imagery to capture the essence of what is said”. 19

A summarized version is provided for In Halsbury’s Laws of England, 4th Edition, Volume 26 P. 260,

“A judgment or order in its final shape usually contains in addition to formal parts:— (i) A preliminary

or introductory part, showing the form of the application upon which it was made, the manner in which

and the place at which, the writ or other originating process was served, the parties appearing, any

consent, waivers, undertakings or admissions given or made, so placed, as to indicate whether they relate

to the whole judgment or order or only part of it, and a reference to the evidence upon which the

judgment or order is based and (ii) a substantive or mandatory part, containing the order made by the

court. 20

“A good judgment is one that anyone reading or hearing it being delivered will be able to follow

the reasoning of the Judge or Magistrate in the matter. It is such that the conclusions flow from the

premise and the party who wins will be able to see what he did right and the party who looses will be

able to see where the judge (Or Magistrate,) said he went wrong. He may not agree with the judge (or

Magistrate) but like the proverbial flea removed from the dog, he will be able to see the flea and not

think he was being pinched”21

33

IV Length of Judgment –

Generally speaking, a judgment requires an introduction, middle and the end. The judges note-taking method is an

integral part of judgment writing. The history and the facts as well as the credibility of the parties or witnesses is often

an important part of the fact finding process. It must be clear, readable, logical, contain well researched principles of

law, statutes, case law and be of good quality. The quantity is not a priority as long as the magistrate is not economical

with the reasons for deciding, so that justice is not slaughtered on the altar of brevity or speed. The judgment should not

be unnecessarily long or verbose to impress the public or the higher court, just in case the matter goes on appeal. A

Magistrate should not play to the gallery but be fully persuaded that her decision is in the best interest of justice, that’s

the main thing; that’s what makes the judgment beautiful to behold. Justice is depicted to be blind-folded or blind

meaning no bias, but the audience watching her every move, are people with perfect eyesight, who have their eyes wide

open.

“A good judgment is not determined by its length but by the quality. A judgment should be long enough to deal with

the relevant facts and issues and no more. ” “A judgment may be lengthy and yet has not been able to address itself to the

issues involved... ensure that a judgment is not too long as to sound repetitive, as it is also not too brief that it does not

contain the vital issues for determination.”75

“One will only wish that our trial courts do approach the difficult task of writing judgment in some methodical and

orderly fashion. 76

BREVITY IS ESSENTIAL

An author put it this way - “Brevity – Soul of Good Judgment

It is necessary to avoid repetition of facts and law in the judgment. Brevity is the soul of a good judgment while prolixity

is a vice. Brevity however must not be at the cost of clarity. A good judgment should not contain unnecessary citations of

precedents. Even long quotations from the precedents should be avoided. Only the relevant and most striking passages

from a precedent should be picked up in order to support the point for decision. Normally the judgment should notice

every argument at the Bar, but a Bench is not bound to notice each and every argument if it is entirely irrelevant and

beside the point. Such arguments may be briefly mentioned and summarily rejected as either irrelevant or not in point.

34

Generally a Brief judgment is preferred to voluminous judgments, but It is definitely better, to err on the

side of surplus than inadequacy, where judgment writing is concerned. Brevity can be positive only if,

the brief judgment does not leave out the relevant details.If you want the court above to agree with

your decision, and affirm it and not overturn your judgment, it could be brief or succinct but it must

contain materials that will get the job done without any sentiment, being properly backed by law.

(Cop v Jacob Festus, Magistrate Court Ruling on Application for Bail pending Appeal.)

The Need for Brevity

On the point that a good judgment should be brief: in CHARLES ASOGWA v. CHUKWU 77 per Pat

Acholonu JSC, held that, “a good judgment is expected to be accurate, succinct, factual and vivid. It

should be a masterpiece of brevity”.“ A succinct or concise judgment in this context must not be too

brief. It should certainly not be too long. It should therefore be of average length. This involves

covering all the required contents of a good judgment in summary” 78

DO NOT SLAUGHTER JUSTICE ON THE ALTAR OF BREVITY AND SPEED. -

A judgment is not a telex message or a telegram, those are associated with extreme brevity and no

wonder they are now extinct. (kept reducing till they vanished) There are orders and rulings that should

not be more than one or two pages for example the decree Nisi order in garnishee proceedings, ruling

on “No case submision” and other cases brought exparte . Copies annexed…

However in contested matters, when a judgment is too short, it means essential aspects and details

may have been left out. Indeed in very short judgments, justice may have been slaughtered on an

altar of brevity. The main exclusions to this principle listed above are particularly a ruling on

“a no case submission” which should not contain much since the totality of the evidence has

not yet been heard etc..

35

REASONS FOR YOUR DECISIONS ARE ESSENTIAL

No matter the type of case you intend to deliver a ruling or judgment on, and regardless of the

type of judgment, “Justice must not just be done it must be seen to have been done”. 79 Don’t

just decide, give your reason for arriving at that conclusion, sort of like a ratio decidendi.

It must be transparent for all to see, that upon your consideration and evaluation of all

the evidence before you, both oral and documentary, you arrived at that conclusion.

This is to prevent your judgment from being overturned or set aside. If the court above did

not see that you did justice in your judgment, it will be compelled to help you to do

justice in the appeal before it !

In the case of LOPEZ v THE STATE 80 where the judgment of the learned trial Magistrate

was simply recorded as

“Oral judgment delivered, conviction as charged”

The Supreme Court held that,

“there shall be judgment in writing under section 286 of the Criminal procedure Code.

The reason for it, must be given under section 286 of the code. Conviction quashed”

OBSERVATION: A very brief judgment and the ruling on the appeal was also extremely

brief.

That is still the position of the law by virtue of the words of that statute being enshrined in the

ACJA. It is thus clear, that a Magistrate’s judgment though not required or advisable to be

lengthy or verbose, must not be economical, with the reasons for arriving at the

conclusion. To do so will be fatal to the decision, as it would be set aside or

overturned on appeal.

36

EXCEPTION TO THE RULE AGAINST BREVITY

WHEN THE COURT DECIDES TO OVER RULE THE NO CASE SUBMISSION THE RULING MUST BE

BRIEF, SUCCICT, AND STRAIGHT TO THE POINT WITHOUT EVALUATING THE EVIDENCE.

EVALUATING THE EVIDENCE AT THIS STAGE SHOWS BIAS AND IS NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST

OF JUSTICE SINCE THE COURT IS YET TO HEAR THE OTHER SIDE. THAT INSTANT DECISION

WILL BE OVERTURNED ON APPEAL. THEREFORE IT’S IMPORTANT TO BE VERY BRIEF IN A

RULING ON A NO CASE SUBMISSION WHEREIN THE COURT OVER RULES THE NO CASE

SUBMISSION.

In an essay titled seven steps to clearer Judgment Writing.81 the author observed that :

“Without question – our Judgments are the products of our judicial endeavor and since they are available they can be

analyzed immediately or in the near future and clear well written decisions are integral to the development of

precedent through case law. Parties to litigation are usually keen to understand the result and the reasons”.

JUSTICE OR MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE -

A WELL WRITTEN JUDGMENT MUST CONTAIN THE REASONS FOR THE DECISION-

“The supreme requirement of a good judgment is reason. Judgment is of value on the strength of its reasons. The

weight of a judgment, its binding character or its persuasive character depends on the presentation and articulation of

reasons. Reason, therefore, is the soul and spirit of a good judgment.” 82

A judgment that does not contain any reason for the decision, or the reasons given are inadequate, or require

detailed analysis, is bad in law and likely to be set aside or overturned on appeal. Therefore the importance of

providing reasons for your decision cannot be over emphasized.

“The judgments clearly recognize the fundamental importance of furnishing reasons particularly in circumstances

where the deprivation of liberty is at stake... It is sufficient to observe that without the statement of reasons it will

usually be impossible to know whether the magistrate has misdirected himself on the law or misunderstood or

misapplied the evidence. The absence of reasons at the least, enables the appellant to argue from a strong position

that there cannot have been a sound reason for the decision in issue”.

Per Lord Clyde in Forbes v Chandrabhan Maharaj 83

37

Needless to say that the Art of Judgment writing, is the mastery of writing extraordinary judgments that appear

attractive and inspiring to stakeholders.

“The process of reasoning by which the court came to the ultimate conclusion and decreed the suit should be reflected

clearly in the judgment. Whether it is a case which is contested by the defendants.., or a case which proceeds exparte, the

court has to write a judgment which must be in conformity with the provisions of the CPC or at least set out the

reasoning by which the controversy is resolved”. 84

What should be the SCOPE and CONTENTS of our judgments? 12

A summarized version of the scope and contents of the judgment of a Magistrate is as stated below:

“At the close of evidence from both parties and addresses from counsel, a Magistrate delivers judgment and enters a

sentence. A verdict must be delivered in one way or the other. The role of the magistrate in judgment writing is to bring

out clearly the issue or issues for determination. He adequately brings out the case of the parties and carefully sets out

the argument of both counsel and then make’s an unbiased evaluation of the evidence before the court. He makes

specific findings on specific issues in coming to a conclusion. He cannot draw a conclusion of facts from sources other

than from the evidence available before him. He cannot set up an issue not canvassed by the parties before him and for

which there is no evidence before him and give judgment without hearing from the parties. A magistrate cannot also

grant a relief that is not claimed in an action. In civil matters where some of the plaintiffs claim have been proved,

judgment is given on the successful heads of claim and others struck off, or the whole relief may be granted... In criminal

matters, the magistrate declares to an accused person (Defendant) the legal consequences of his guilt for which he has

been convicted but where the accused (Defendant) is found not culpable the court enters a sentence of an acquittal”49.

Hon Justice Niki Tobi wrote about these in his lordship’s book “The Nigerian Judge”

THE SCOPE OF JUDGMENTS 13

In my humble opinion the scope of our judgments are the parameters and acceptable boundaries, that will ensure

that the judgment has the force of law being backed by same. To do otherwise would be a miscarriage of justice.

The essence of the scope of judgment writing in the magistrate court will be better highlighted

when we discuss what evaluating evidence entails.14

38

CONTENTS OF A JUDGMENT

RULES FOR JUDGMENT WRITING

IN CRIMINAL MATTERS

The equivalent where Criminal matters are concerned is as stipulated by Hon. Justice Oputa JSC (as he then

was) in STEPHEN v STATE 22 the rules of the Art of Judgment Writing as stated in Stephen Vs State, Per Hon.

Justice Oputa JSC (as he then was) .

1: If the plea of the accused person/ defendant is guilty, (Summary trial) no issues arise and the trial court can

proceed straight to judgment. But if the plea is not guilty, then all the constituent elements of the offence or

offenses are put in issue ”

2: After leading evidence in proof or defence of the offence or offenses charged, the trial court will deal with the

perception and evaluation of facts, belief or disbelief of witnesses and findings and conclusions based on the

evidence accepted by the court.

3: At this stage the trial court will briefly summarize the case of either party. This does not mean reproducing

verbatim the evidence of the prosecution witnesses, or defence witnesses one by one, but it does mean using

such evidence to tell a coherent and connected story. Having done this, the trial court will then decide which

story to believe. Here it is important to emphasize that the over-worked expressions “I believe” or “I do not

believe” have no intrinsic magic power or potency. There is nothing wrong in believing one side and

disbelieving the other if either the belief or disbelief is in consonance with the natural drift of the evidence and

the probabilities which on a totality of that evidence it is natural to expect.

4: Having exercised his prerogative to believe or disbelieve, having made his finding of fact, the trial court will

then draw the necessary inference or conclusion from the facts as found. Finally the trial court will then discuss

the applicable law against the background of the facts as found.

Hon Justice NIKi TOBI JSC (as he then was) also referred to the contents of a good judgment as propounded by

Hon Justice UCHE OMO JSC as they relevantly affect criminal

matters.

39

To him, a good judgment in criminal matters should include the following in the order set out: 23

1 A brief statement of the offence being adjudicated upon

2 Setting out the offence in full or part

3 A review of the evidence led

4 Appraisal/evaluation of such evidence

5 Findings of fact therefrom

6 Consideration of the legal submissions made and /or arising and findings of law on them.

7 Conclusion, which is the verdict and order(s)

The fundamentals of judgment writing as stipulated by the Supreme Court per Oputa JSC in both Stephen v The State

(supra) and Adeyeye’s case (supra) are quite straight forward and simple, for all intents and purposes, and easy to

understand. One therefore would ask, where lies the difficulty ? It does appear that the answer lies in judgment

writer’s focusing on the complexities, instead of mastering the simple and correct procedure. In the same vein it is

advisable, to make it a duty to intentionally, make our judgments, easy for listeners and readers to understand.

In ADEYEYE & Anor v ALHAJI AJIBOYE & Ors 15Hon Justice Oputa JSC (as he then was) held :

“I had in the past criticised some judgments of our trial courts, which began by citing and discussing a multitude of

decided cases without first laying the factual foundation on which those decided cases will stand or fall: see Stephen v

The State [1986] 5 NWLR (Pt. 46) at p.1005.

The proper approach for any trial court is to first set out the claim or claims; then the pleadings, then the issues arising

from those pleadings. Having decided on the issues in dispute the trial judge will then

consider the evidence in proof of each issue, then decide on which side to believe, and this has got to be a belief based

on the preponderance of credible evidence and the probabilities in the case. After this the trial judge will record his

logical and consequential findings of fact. It is after such findings, that the trial court can then discuss the applicable

law against the background of his findings of fact”. (Numbering & Emphasis mine)

In that case the learned Justice of the Supreme Court praised the way Gbadeyan J, set about writing the judgment in the case. 16

40

A brief summary of the contents of a civil judgment applicable also in the magistrate court being a

court of first instance, is as provided by the Supreme Court in Adeyeye’s case supra (Even though no

pleadings in the Magistrate court)

see also the synopsis of my lady Adefope -Okogie JCA, in her ladyships book titled Civil Litigation, A

quick reference guide to substantive law and procedure, where her ladyship summarized and listed the

Fundamentals of writing a good judgment at par 1.34.50 page 217 in a format that is straightforward

and easy to understand.

THE FUNDAMENTALS OF WRITING GOOD JUDGMENTS 17

1. Set out the claims

2. Set out the issues arising from the pleadings

3. Put those cases on an imaginary scale

4. Consider the evidence in proof of each issue then

5. Decide which side to believe based on the preponderance of credible evidence and the

probabilities of the case.

6. Record logical and consequent findings of fact

7. Discuss the applicable law against the background of findings of fact.

Quite succinct, in my opinion straight to the point, and applicable in civil matters in the Magistrate

Court, even though we don’t have pleadings.

Furthermore , His lordship Hon. Justice NIKI TOBI J.S.C. (as he then was) in his book “The Nigerian

Judge” referred to a lecture titled “The Art and Science of Judging, delivered at the Continuing

Education in the Judiciary for Judicial Officers, held in Zaria, in October 1989. Hon. Justice UCHE

OMO J.S.C. (as he then was) “contended that a good judgment in a court of first instance, should

contain the following in the order set out:

41

RECOMMENDATIONS OF Hon. Justice UCHE OMO J.S.C. On the contents of a

good judgment. 18

A A brief statement of the type of action

B Setting out the claim

C A Review of the Evidence

D Appraisal / Evaluation of such evidence

E Findings of fact therefrom

F Consideration of the legal submissions made and or arising

and findings of law on them.

G Conclusion, that is the final decision / order(s)

(His lordships recommendations fit perfectly in a magistrates judgment.)

These recommendations may not have had the force of law, when it was first muted in the

20th century, at the 1989 law lecture for Judicial Officers. There were in attendance many

judges as well as their lordships of the Apex Court, and many courts of first instance have

followed those recommendations and toed that line, being authentic and very much

applicable nowadays. That position is what generally obtains in a 21st century court of first

instance, which also includes the magistrate court.

42

Due to the developments in the profession, including increase in the jurisdiction of

Magistrates in various states, numerous legal practitioners of repute, spend much more time

practicing law in the magistrate court . This has resulted in much more workload than in the

20th century and also a tilt towards “heavy artillery” in the form of voluminous written

addresses and hearing “contested applications”, previously reserved for the High Courts

(Being superior courts of record) regardless of the “summary jurisdiction” of the Magistrate

Court which has remained constant.

In addition the Supreme Court in the case of OSAFILE & Anor v ODI & Anor 24 also gave

the fundamentals and essentials of writing a good judgment as follows:

“A judgment in a civil case is made up more or less of five distinct parts. These are

(1) the introduction of the issue in controversy between the parties,

(2) the case of either side to the litigation as revealed on the pleadings,

(3) the evidence called by either side in support of its case, (emphasis Issues)

(4) the resolution of the issues of fact and of law put forward by each part,

(emphasis Evaluation of the evidence) and

(5) the court’s conclusions based on the resolutions of the claims before the

court”.

(The numbering, highlighting and emphasis are all mine!)

For further clarification lets discuss the five parts enumerated in the case

43

1 The introduction of the issue in controversy between the parties:

It is generally acceptable and preferred if the introduction is brief. Simply state the summarized version of the case i.e.

the claim, the number of witnesses or the application filed etc. It is also in the introduction that the judgment writer

may mention the advocacy of either counsel, diligence or otherwise of parties, the outcome of mediation if parties

submitted to it and any other important elementary feature.

2 The case of either side to the litigation as revealed on the pleadings,

“The summary of the case is the synopsis of the evidence presented by either side. This is where great skill is required

to highlight only the essential aspects of the case, taking the witnesses one after the other...All that is required in the

summation of the evidence, is to give a clear idea of what case the parties have put forward”. 25

COURT OF SUMMARY JURISDICTION

There are no pleadings in the Magistrate court, being a court of summary jurisdiction, the claims represent the

pleadings. The claim is usually a summarized version of the plaintiffs story anyway, but the judgment writer is

expected to state categorically the essential aspect without being economical with the disputed details which could

vitiate the whole case. Furthermore this is the stage where the summarized version of the evidence of the parties is

stated. The magistrate must be brief but careful not to sacrifice justice on the altar of Brevity. When important

details are left out the conclusion will definitely be different and unanticipated. See LOPEZ case SC decision. 26

(The magistrates judgment was too short, the SC’s ruling was also extremely short. “Reasons to be given conviction

quashed’’ end of story

3 The evidence called by either side in support of its CASE !

This in my opinion is the scope of the judgment. The issues for determination are essential, whether a civil or criminal

case, whether interlocutory or final. Learned counsel may adopt the issues as enumerated by his learned friend on the

other side, and the Magistrate may also either adopt them or proffer different issues for the purpose

of precision and clarity. This is the imaginary border. 27

44

Authorities on principles of law governing THE SCOPE OF THE JUDGMENT OF A MAGISTRATE

A judgment must demonstrate in full, dispassionate consideration of the issues, properly raised and heard, and must

reflect the results of such an exercise.28 It is wrong on the part of a judge to create an issue for himself and give

judgment upon it without hearing the parties and their counsel and for which there was no evidence before him. 29

A judgment must be based on the relief sought and not outside it. Putting it differently, a judge has no jurisdiction to

give judgment on a relief not sought or claimed.30 Madarikan J.S.C. Opined at pages 40-41

“the learned president having rightly in my view, come to the conclusion that he could not grant the relief it was not

open to him to proceed to order payment of damages which was not claimed by the applicants. 31

There are other authorities where the S.C. held that the Court is not Father Christmas, to be giving what was not

claimed.

4 The resolution of the issues of fact and of law put forward by each party. (emphasis - Evaluation of the

evidence) . “The Evaluation of evidence and resolution of the issue(s) is arguably the most daunting task of the judge

or magistrate in judgment writing. What this entails has been severally highlighted by the courts. Accordingly being

such a dauting experience the courts have tried to clarify the position. “The court in carrying out its function must not

confuse matters” 32 The perceptual ability of the Magistrate must be unique to be able to become the voice of the

event, irrespective of what the parties say, since he will evaluate the evidence before the court.

WHAT IS EVALUATION OF EVIDENCE ?

There are present in our Jurisprudence, numerous circumstances where courts had done “SOMETHING LIGHT ” 33

under the pretense of doing the “onerous task of evaluating evidence” and the Apex court, had in clear and

unambiguous words stated that it was definitely not Evaluation of evidence. The court’s have stated clearly, that the

trial court has a duty, to make “proper evaluation of evidence” and “findings of fact”. 34 and have also stated what is

not evaluation of evidence. Let’s consider a few examples, because though it appears simple enough to understand

the phrase “Evaluation of Evidence” in practice however, that does not seem to be the case. Our law reports are

replete with judicial pronouncements on what “Evaluation of Evidence” is NOT. Therefore if we identify what it is

not, we will be left with what it is, since it will be the last man standing. (As Winston Churchill once said, the

Americans will always do the right thing .. after they have exhausted all the alternatives! Lets

exhaust the alternatives!)

45

I EVALUATION OF EVIDENCE IS NOT - Restating or Summarizing the evidence. 35 - Memoirs of a

Newly appointed Magistrate - better put “Confessions of a new Magistrate !

II EVALUATION OF EVIDENCE IS NOT - Investigation and the discovery of additional evidence .

ONLY CONSIDER THE EVIDENCE BEFORE YOU-

The Supreme Court held in the case of Alhaji Anibodu & others v Alhaji Akibu & ors 36 “that the duty of the court is to

decide between the parties on the basis of what has been demonstrated, canvassed and argued in court. It is not the duty

of a court to do cloistered justice by making an inquiry into the case outside the court, even if such inquiry is limited to

examination of documents, when the documents had not been examined in court, and their examination out of court,

disclosed matters that had not been brought out and exposed to test in court.

“Although sometimes the line between what is investigation and what is evaluation of documentary evidence may be

blurred and difficult to define, the distinction is that whereas, investigation leads to a discovery of fresh facts, the truth

of which could have been challenged by fresh contrary evidence, evaluation of evidence leads merely to findings based

on the quality of evidence already existing” 37

“It should be plain to a court of Appeal (or a magistrate court- emphasis mine) that when an issue is not placed before it,

it has no business whatsoever to deal with it. A court of Appeal (or magistrate court -emphasis mine) is not a knight

errant looking for skirmishes all over the place” 38 Per KAYODE ESO JSC

III EVALUATION OF EVIDENCE IS NOT - Speculation or Suspicion no matter how grave.

In AKPABIO v STATE the court held that “Findings of fact and conclusions from facts of a trial court should be based

on evidence adduced before the court and not on speculations or possibilities” 39 It is trite that Suspicion can not take

the place of evidence, therefore Suspicion no matter how grave cannot ground conviction.

A court cannot decide issues of speculation no matter how close what it relies on may seem to be to the facts.

Speculation is not an aspect of inference that may be drawn from facts that are laid before the court. Inference is a

reasonable deduction from facts whereas speculation is a mere variant of imaginative guess work, even when it appears

plausible, should never be allowed by a court of law to fill any biatus in the evidence before it.40

46

IV EVALUATION OF EVIDENCE IS

NEITHER IGNORING THE AVAILABLE EVIDENCE

NOR BEING SATISFIED WITH INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE.

There is No exception to the requirement for evaluation. Even Unchallenged evidence

needs to be considered and evaluated in the judgment.

The courts have held that, where the evidence is unchallenged, the plaintiff is entitled to judgment see

the case of Bello v Fayose41 The unchallenged evidence will be seen as minimal proof, once considered

and the onus of proof is satisfied, by minimal proof since THERE IS NOTHING ON THE OTHER SIDE

OF THE SCALE. 42

The courts also went further to hold that in considering such unchallenged evidence, the court must be

satisfied, that it is in the best interest of justice to find in favour of the plaintiff. 43

“Even if, as was the case here, the evidence in a case went in one direction in that it was unchallenged,

the trial judge (or Magistrate - emphasis mine) is still expected to EXAMINE whether or not the

unchallenged evidence was sufficient, to establish the claims made by the party in whose favour the

unchallenged evidence was given. 44

Thus though it is an undefended case, where the evidence before the court is insufficient, and the court is

not satisfied that it is in the best interest of justice to find in favour of the plaintiff, the court will “non

suit” the plaintiff, if it finds any of its documentary or oral evidence bad in law. The same way the court

will not find the defendant in a criminal case guilty if the evidence is insufficient, or if doubts are raised

in the mind of the court, since the scale there expects, proof beyond reasonable doubt to be

able to tilt, in the prosecution’s direction.

47

WHEN A NO CASE SUBMISSION IS UPHELD IT MEANS THE CASE AGAINST THE DEFENDANT IS

DISMISSED FOR WANT OF SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE OR LACK OF PROOF BEYOND REASONABLE

DOUBT. ACCORDINGLY, THE RULING WILL BE A FINAL JUDGMENT STATING CLEARLY THE

COURTS EVALUATION OF THE EVIDENCE . THIS WILL DEFINITELY NOT BE A BRIEF RULING AND

THE SAID INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE MUST BE EVALUATED AND REASONS GIVEN FOR THE

COURT’S CONCLUSION .

The courts have also held that “ the onus is on the prosecution in criminal proceedings to establish the guilt of the

defendant beyond all reasonable doubt. The prosecution team is however not expected to prove its case beyond any

shadow of doubt or call every available piece of evidence to discharge the burden. It is enough if the evidence adduced

by the prosecution is sufficient to discharge the onus placed on it. 45

What is necessary to prove a case beyond reasonable doubt is not the reason for bringing the accused to court but the

QUALITY of evidence before the court. In the present case, the prosecution adduced enough evidence to obtain

conviction. 46

It must show quite clearly that there was sufficient evidence, which was considered and evaluated, in line with

the law, before arriving at the court’s decision.

Complicated Undefended Judgments.

There were occasions when the claimant lost undefended cases because it was not in the best interest of Justice to grant

in his favour even though it was undefended. 43 again

Sometimes a Magistrate may have to non suit a claimant for not proving his case due to insufficient evidence or the

evidential value of the documents tendered is zero, negligible, inconsequential. Thus even though it is undefended it

does not qualify as satisfactory proof being bad in law for whatever reason.

The proviso to Section 61 Magistrate Court Law of Lagos State 2009 provides that the Magistrate shall have power

to non-suit the claimant in every case in which satisfactory proof shall not be given entitling either the claimant or

defendant to judgment. This means all evidence will be placed on the imaginary scale whether the case is defended

or not, and the fact that the case is not defended does not mean there will be no need for evidence or that the

evidence will not be considered or even touched with a long pole. No, not at all, evidence should be made

available to the court, in proof of their case, and the court has a duty to evaluate all the evidence

before it.

48

V EVALUATION OF EVIDENCE IS NOT - IGNORING THE ISSUES TO BE DETERMINED

A MAGISTRATE MUST MAKE PROPER EVALUATION OF EVIDENCE

Bucknil L.J. In Bater v Bater 1951 p35 observed “ i do not understand how a court can be satisfied that a charge has been

proved... If at the end of the case it has a reasonable doubt whether the case has been proved. To be satisfied and at the

same time to have a reasonable doubt seems to me to be an impossible state of mind” .

This is because in a criminal case, if there is reasonable doubt, the charge has not been proved, and the defendant is not

expected to prove his innocence. Therefore there is no need for any evidence from the defence to help tilt the scales of

justice in favour of the defendant, since it is not decided on a preponderance of evidence. Furthermore, the evidence

adduced did not weigh much or anything at all, which is why the no case submission may be upheld in such

circumstances, since there is no need for the defendant to give his own side of the story, since no prima facie case was

made out against him.

Proof is the logically sufficient reason for assenting to the truth of a proposition advanced. The magistrate needs to

consider ONLY and ALL the evidence BEFORE THE COURT, to discover whether any part of it helps to prove

the case.

VI All vital issues in a case must be resolved, if Evidence is properly evaluated.

“It is flawed judgment writing to leave any of the vital issues raised in a case unresolved. This will invariably defeat the

effort at speedy disposal of cases for failure to resolve vital issues will not only result in miscarriage of justice but will

also result in the case being sent back for retrial where the case is appealed against.” 47

VII EVALUATION OF EVIDENCE IS NOT - RELYING ON PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE

MAGISTRATE

Personal knowledge of the Magistrate should not take the place of evidence !

“A trial judge (Magistrate - emphasis mine) has a primary duty to receive admissible evidence, access same, give it

probative value and make specific findings thereon. He must not impair the evidence, either with his personal

knowledge of matters not placed and canvassed before him, or by inadequate evaluation and should endeavor to avoid

vitiating the case presented by the parties through his own wrongly stated or applied principle of law”. 48

49

JUDICIAL PRONOUNCEMENT / DEFININTION OF EVALUATION OF EVIDENCE

“The exercise of evaluation and ascription of probative value to such evidence must entail the trial

court in placing the totality of evidence of both parties on an imaginary judicial scale, the testimony

of plaintiff on one side and weigh them together. The court has to watch where it preponderates. The

court must take care not to be influenced by the number of witnesses or the enormousity of the

documents but must rely heavily on the QUALITY of the testimony at its disposal”. 50

“Fully considering the totality of evidence placed before it, ascribe probative value to it, put same on

the imaginary scale of justice to determine the party in whose favour the balance tilts, make necessary

findings of facts flowing therefrom, apply the relevant law to the findings and come to the logical

conclusion”. 51 In other words a magistrate should give clear reasons for arriving at that

decision, such that even though the magistrate does not use the terms “Ratio Decidendi” and “Obiter

Dictum”, one will be able to ascertain its equivalent in her judgment.

THE REASON FOR DECISION –

IT MUST BE EVIDENT THAT THE COURT CONSIDERED ALL THE EVIDENCE

In an appeal to the Supreme Court 52 against the finding made by the trial judge who also considered

the appellants defence in details, before rejecting it, learned counsel failed to show sufficient

reason for their lordships to interfere with the finding”. His lordship UWAIS CJN, JSC (as he then

was) dismissed the appeal, and confirmed the decision of the court of appeal, which confirmed the

conviction and death sentence, passed on the appellant by the trial court.”

The point being that the trial court considered all the evidence including the defence in

details, before rejecting it. It must be evident that the magistrate considered “ALL” the

evidence. Not just “some” of the evidence or “none” of the evidence or

“something light” other than the evidence before the court.

50

EVALUATION OF EVIDENCE IN CIVIL CASES

His Lordship, Oputa JSC (as he then was) proffered “a proper and scientific approach to the difficult problem of writing

a judgment 53 “Since my commentary in this was motivated by the way the judgment of the learned trial Judge was

written, it may not be out of place to proffer what I would consider to be a proper and scientific approach to the difficult

problem of writing a judgment.”

His lordship referred to “The procedure for the assessment of evidence as laid down by the Supreme Court in MOGAJI

v ODOFIN, (1978) 4 S.C. 91. It is limited to civil cases and does not apply when a trial court decides criminal cases.”

Per Fatayi-Williams JSC (as he then was ) at page 93 “ ....In short, before a judge, before whom evidence is adduced by

the parties before him, in a CIVIL case comes to a decision as to which evidence he believes or accepts, and which

evidence he rejects, he should first of all,

put the totality of the testimony adduced by both parties, on that imaginary scale; he will put the evidence

adduced by the plaintiff, on one side of the scale and that of the defendant on the other side ,and weigh them

together .....he will then see which is heavier not by the number of witnesses called by each party, but by the

quality, or the probative value of the testimony of those witnesses. This is what is meant when it is said that a civil

case is decided on the balance of probabilities”

“The question then is how does the Magistrate evaluate the evidence of the witnesses before him in the absence of

pleadings as in High Court? There is no difference. The Magistrate who must at the trial record the evidence of the

witnesses for the plaintiff and those for the defendant can look at the records as pleadings 54

FACTORS A MAGISTRATE MUST CONSIDER WHEN EVALUATING EVIDENCE -

Therefore in determining which is heavier, the magistrate will naturally have regard to the following:-

a) Whether the evidence is admissible

b) Whether it is relevant

c) Whether it is credible

d) Whether it is conclusive

e) And whether it is more probable than that given by the other party. Finally after evoking the law, if nay,

that is the applicable law to the case the trial judge will then come to his final conclusion based on the

evidence which he has accepted.” 55

51

MORE SCOPE -

Indicating assessment of the Credibility of the witness makes your judgment credible-

“ It is trite law that the assessment of credibility of a witness is a matter within the province of the trial court, as it is only

the court that has the advantage of seeing, watching, and observing the witness in the witness box. It has the liberty and

privilege of believing him and accepting his evidence either as a whole or in part, in preference to the evidence adduced

by the defence. 56 Therefore it can be deduced that if a judgment writer SAW, WATCHED and OBSERVED THE

WITNESS, IN THE WITNESS BOX HE SHOULD SAY SO IN HIS JUDGEMENT ! AND ALSO SAY WHETHER,

HE ACCEPT’S OR REJECT’S THE EVIDENCE WITH REASONS. SO THAT THE PARTIES, THE COURT(S)

ABOVE, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, WILL BE CERTAIN ABOUT THE EXISTENCE OF THE REASONS

FOR HIS DECISION AND WHAT EXACTLY THEY ARE!.

Accordingly since it is undisputed, that it is the trial court’s liberty, to assess credibility of a witness, and that witness,

will not be called in the courts above, if the case goes on appeal, it is therefore essential, that the Magistrate summarizes,

and documents his observations and evaluation of same, in his judgment, which will form part of the records .

From the foregoing it is safe to define Evaluation of evidence as the consideration of the evidence before the court,

in light of the issues and the applicable law. How does the evidence tilt the scales of justice ? in favour of who ? The

age long principle” he who asserts must prove”, simply connotes that the defendant does not have to prove his innocence

unless the burden shifts to him after the evidence of the prosecution but the plaintiff or prosecution, who is making

assertions has to provide sufficient evidence in proof thereof, and that evidence will be tested for the kind of weight to be

attached to it, as well as its effect on the scales of justice. Weight / Scale The image is quite clear. Imaginary scales

but the weight is not imaginary.

(5) the court’s conclusions based on the resolutions of the claims before the court”.

“The conclusion is the decision of the court on the claims put forward by the plaintiff” (or claimant in civil cases and the

prosecution in criminal cases) emphasis mine . “ Having analyzed the case of the parties as revealed in the evidence and

the law on the matter, the judge (Magistrate - emphasis mine) now says which reliefs have been proved and which have

failed”. 57

52

(It also includes the decision of the court on a counterclaim if any as well as cost. In criminal matters

it is will include the sentence, only if the defendant is found guilty of the offence.)

THE JUDGMENT WITH THE REASONS MUST BE IN WRITING AND SIGNED 89

The ACJL provides numerous opportunities to hear cases and deliver multiple judgments in the

same case. 90

Read your judgment carefully, over and over again to ensure that it represents your well reasoned

thoughts on the matter. Even if you type it yourself, one letter or alphabet in the wrong place can

change the meaning of the whole sentence. Furthermore, where figures are involved, you don’t want

to order payment of one million naira when what they deserve is one hundred thousand, because the

decimal point in the wrong place or one extra zero in the figure can change the total amount. You do

not want to give the impression that as “a newly appointed Magistrate or even a seasoned Magistrate,”

“Senior Magistrate” or “Chief Magistrate”, you either compromised, or are incompetent, because

neither of the two is a compliment.

YOUR JUDGMENT REPRESENTS YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE FACTS PRESENTED

BEFORE YOU AND IT IS YOUR SOLE RESPONSIBILITY

It is imperative to note that according to both the ACJA, ACJL and the Magistrates Court law of Lagos

State even in circumstances where a Magistrate or Judge is indisposed or prevented by some

unavoidable cause from delivering his judgment or the sentence, it is only if it has been reduced into

writing and SIGNED by the Judge or Magistrate that it may be delivered and pronounced in open court

by any other Judge or Magistrate 91

53

KNOWLEDGE OF THE LAW

It has been said times without number that a good lawyer is not the one who knows all the law but one

who knows how to research the law, yet a good magistrate is expected to be the custodian of the law.

This means since you are expected to take Judicial notice of most principles of case law and statutes,

you need to take practical notice of them, by making effort to read law reports and other law papers

extensively, in your spare time which is probably nonexistent. That way you may not know all the law,

yet you are familiar or possibly very aware of how to gain access to it through research, hopefully it

may not be entirely strange to you because you follow the development of the law in the specific field

of your endeavors.

Learning from the style of some notable Jurists:

Hon. Justice Chukwudifu Oputa (JSC) as he then was

Hon. Justice NIKI TOBI (JSC) as he then was

Hon Justice Eso JSC as he then was In CARRIBEAN TRADING & FIDELITY CORPORATION v.

NNPC 69 His lordship Niki Tobi JCA, JSC wrote in his characteristic style of setting out his judgments

and the flourish exhibited in his judgment(s) just like the world acclaimed English judge, Lord Denning

M.R (also of blessed memory); in his words: “English is English. Nigerian is Nigerian. The English are

English. So also the Nigerians are Nigerians. Theirs are theirs. Ours is ours. Theirs are not ours. Ours

are not theirs. We cannot therefore continue to enjoy this borrowing spree or merry frolic at the

detriment of our legal system. We cannot continue to pay loyalty to our colonial past with such servility

or servitude. After all, we are no more in slavery”. Per Niki Tobi JCA,JSC as he then was.

Hon. Justice Chukwudifu Oputa(JSC) as he then was - Socrates of the Supreme Court as described

by Hon. Justice Mohammed Bello (CJN) as he then was. In UTC (NIG) LTD v. PAMOTEI 70 on the

power of the supreme court as final obiter, his lordship held as follows

54

'the Supreme court is final not because it is infallible, rather it is infallible because it is final'

His lorship stated further that

“ any learned person certainly can criticize judgments of the supreme court in the same manner that they can laud their

judgments/ rulings if or when necessary. What they cannot do is to appeal against the judgment of the supreme court

even if they disagree with it,unless of course it overrules itself; but until that, it remains valid and final”.

Justice Chukwudifu Oputa(JSC (as he then was)

In FEDERAL CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION & Ors v. J.O Laoye 71 his lordship held as follows:

'Justice has never been a one-way traffic,but rather a three-way traffic- Justice to the accused, justice to the victim and

justice to the public or the society at large. It has two scales and weight. Justice is also depicted as blind. It neither sees

nor recognizes who is a government functionary and who is not. It is not a respecter of persons or institutions, no matter

how highly placed they are.‘

He further stated that one of our much vaunted equality before the law is that all litigants, be they private persons or

government functionaries approach the seat of justice openly and without any inhibitions or handicap. Each wins solely

and wholly by the strength of his case in its weight on the scale of justice.

Hon. Justice Kayode Eso JSC (as he then was) In the case of Chief Gani Fawehinmi v Col Halilu Akilu & Anor, 72 the

applicant sought a Mandamus Order to enable him initiate private prosecution of the respondents for the murder of Dele

Giwa by parcel bomb. The Supreme Court ‘s Ruling on his application which had been refused in both the High Court

and the Court of Appeal, on the ground that the applicant lacked the locus standi to maintain the case was quite a delight

to read. The court held as follows:

“Though Cain challenged the locus standi of his being questioned as to the whereabouts of his brother Abel, it was his

reason that he was not his brother’s keeper. That might have been in the outskirts of the garden of Eden. In Nigeria it

would be an unacceptable phenomenon. And when it comes to the law of crime, everyone is certainly his brother’s keeper.

55

When the exercise of the court’s discretion to grant extension of time to set aside a judgment obtained in

default of appearance was challenged right up to the Supreme Court, the imagery portrayed by the Apex

Court in the course of its ruling really paints the picture accurately. It held as follows :

“The appeal is indeed “a rare bird to fly at this altitude” because litigants do not frequently “get to the

level of this court”” merely “to challenge the exercise of the trial judge’s discretion” 73

Lord Denning MR

In addition, the world acclaimed decision of Lord Denning MR in the case of MACFOY V U.A.C. LTD 74 is also another example of one of his numerous artistic judgments that are both a delight to read and

listen to . Due to the prose most lawyers and even members of the bench can say it off hand having cited

or quoted it many times before.

“If an act is void, then it is in law a nullity. It is not only bad, but incurably bad. There is no need for an

order of court to set it aside. It is automatically null and void without more ado, though it is sometimes

convenient to have the court declare it to be so. And every proceeding which is founded on it is also

bad, and incurably bad. You cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stay there. It will

collapse.”

OTHER NOTABLE SHORT QUOTES

Whatever is created by agreement can be discharged by agreement - Lord Denning MR.

An argument drawn from authority is strongest in law - A.V Dicey.

'The burden of proof is on the one who affirms,not on the one who denies' - introduced in Roman

criminal law by Emperor Antoninus Pius.

A dubious expression is construed against the party using it. - Albert Einstein

56

TIMING OF A JUDGMENT

In Lagos State, Section 60 (1) of the Magistrate Court Law 2009 provides “ A Magistrate

shall deliver judgment in every action or matter not later than twenty one (21) working days

after close of trial. In appropriate cases the Magistrate may deliver judgment and reserve

reasons to a later date not exceeding twenty one (21) working days 92

Most Magistrates seldom take this option because it may not be suitable for the 21st century

Magistrate court in Nigeria due to the volume of work and may become obsolete but it is

possible that it could become useful once in a while being a court of summary jurisdiction.

These statutory provisions indicate quite clearly that it is mandatory that the reasons for the

decision to convict an individual are set out clearly since the fundamental right of an

accused person protected by our constitution is that he or persons authorized by him be

given copies of the judgment within seven days of the conclusion of the case.

“It is clear that the constitution did not only envisage final verdict but the reason for it as

well.” 93

Some Magistrate Court Laws and Rules of different states may have timing required for the

delivery of judgment, therefore check the rules of your court and comply with it.

It is settled law that the judgment which must include the reasons for it must be delivered

within a reasonable time after completion of evidence in the case when the impressions

made on the Magistrate by the witnesses are still fresh and have not become dimmed by the

passage of time.94

57

HELICOPTER VIEW

You need to be cautious, in considering the way that lawyers present their cases. Some will

look at the case from the perspective of the law, while others will look at the law, from the

perspective of the case. (Bus baby)

As the presiding Magistrate you have to have a “helicopter view” that will encompass both

parameters of reasoning and show you the big picture where nothing relevant is hidden.

The Helicopter View will give you greater perspective to exercise your deductive

reasoning when writing judgments. In a recent case in the U.S.A a lady was charged with

five traffic offenses at different times and was finally arraigned before the judge but got

mercy due to her subjective circumstances.

You have powers, and sometimes your discretion is paramount. Use both your powers and

when applicable - your discretion to do justice, use them to uphold the rule of law in your

judgments and where applicable use them to temper justice with mercy in your judgments.

Not only should a Magistrate not descend into the arena, your sit in the courtroom is a bit

higher so that you do not stay at the level of the thoughts of the gallery. A Magistrate needs

to have a helicopter view of the proceedings to enable him arrive at a just decision.

58

TRANSPARENCY IS A NECESITY

Writing a judgment is an exercise in transparency. Nothing can be hidden, no extraneous

facts considered , only what is before the court. This is crucial in the event that any party to

the proceedings intends to file an appeal, the court above will consider the transparency. It

will enable them to have a clear and vivid understanding of the events that transpired in the

court below.

YOUR POTENTIAL

As newly appointed magistrates, you may never know or realize how competent you really

are, until you are confronted with cases that will make a demand on the stuff you have within

you, or stuff you are made of.. I am confident that everyone of us here today is set, to do

greater works than we have ever done.

59

THE CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER :

KEEP IT SIMPLE - Your Honors and your worships. Make it simple, and keep it

simple. Make your judgments easy to read and simple to understand. If you make your

judgment profound with too many bogus sounding words that the average graduate

would need to consult a dictionary or GOOGLE just to understand the meaning of the

words used in your judgment, the result will be complicated and confusing “SIMPLE”.

There will be many confused listeners as well as readers, but if you make your

judgment “easy to read” and “simple to understand”6 the result will be profound.

All the members of the judgment writer’s audience will be happy to understand the

judgment, therefore please KEEP IT SIMPLE.

(When a professor is trying to teach simple Arithmetics, it might get very complicated

and confusing.) To simplify a concept, you have to understand its complexities.

The mark of wisdom is to make a COMPLEX and COMPLICATED thing simple to

understand not to make a “simple thing complex” and difficult to understand.

(Remember o’level maths teacher.)

The case or matter before the court might be so complex and complicated, yet the Art

of Judgment writing is ensuring that your judgment, makes a complex and complicated

case simple to understand, so that as we say justice is not only done it is “SEEN” to be

done. We can simply interpret that to mean “ JUSTICE IS UNDERSTOOD to be

done”.

60

RECAPITULATION

I will recapitulate the main point of this paper, which through introspection is undoubtedly that,

“doing justice beautifies our judgments and displays its artistry, which inevitably causes our

audience (which with the advent of technological advancement is really the world at large) to admire

our Judgments while listening to them, reading, complying with or enforcing them.

Therefore for our judgments in the Magistrate Court to constantly be seen as a work of ART, each

judgment writer like any good author, must set out the story line in a way that is devoid of any hazy

lines, and present the abridged version of the relevant aspect of the case from “start to finish” so that

the reader will be able to identify :

1 the issues,

2 the evidence,

3 the relevant and applicable law,

4 the application of the law to the evidence before the court (Evaluation of evidence) and

5 the reasons for the conclusion / decision of the Magistrate

For the purpose of clarity, once the reader can see the juxtaposition of the applicable law to the

evidence available before the court, and that the conclusion of the Magistrate / judgment writer is the

justice of the case, whether or not the decision is in his favour or he agrees or disagrees with it, the

listener / reader as the case may be, will stand in admiration of the judgment, being fully convinced

and satisfied that the judgment is indeed a work of Art, not just worthy to be admired but also worthy

to be emulated. Accordingly, it will definitely make an impact on the society at large. There will be

fewer notices of appeal filed when litigants believe justice was done in their case whether they won or

lost.

.

61

DOING JUSTICE is MAJOR

Doing Justice is simply, the major artistic value of a judgment, admired by onlookers i.e.

The World at large. It is seeing justice being done that reveals the artistry in Judgment

Writing. Therefore in my opinion the “Art of Judgment Writing” is doing everything

possible to indicate quite clearly to both the listener and the ultimate readers, that the

essentials of a good judgment are present in the instant judgment, and it is undisputable that

justice was done.5

'The first duty of society is justice' - Alexander Hamilton If this statement is arguably not

fulfilled by society generally, it is definitely and indisputably applicable to the Bench. It is

the duty of our Courts of Justice to do justice, which should be obvious and transparent,

whenever a judgment is delivered.

'No man is above the law and no man below it -Theodore Roosevelt. Once again it is only

through our judgments, that this assertion can be ascertained regardless of the Media Trials

conducted nationwide.

“The doing of justice is an obligation which the state owes its citizenry and which it

exercises principally through the third arm namely the Judiciary. Any functionary of the

Judiciary to whom the discharge of this sacred obligation is entrusted on behalf of the state

owes it as a duty” 95

62

It is crystal clear that the Magistracy owes society at large, a duty to

do justice, which must not just be done, it must be seen to be done.

Justice delayed is justice denied, therefore there is no better way to

display the justice we do, than through our erudite judgments,

delivered on time and firmly based on the provisions of the law, since

a deviation from the law amounts to a miscarriage of justice.

In closing i leave you with the timeless words of Mahatma Gandhi.

“All the world over,

true peace depends

not upon gun-power

but upon

pure justice.”

63

FINALLY

I hope this paper has inspired you to focus on where you are going and how to get there

fulfilled, instead of looking back at errors or mistakes or fearfully approaching your

destination. Our goal as Magistrates is to write good or even better judgments in the

Magistrate Court’s, which will ensure speedy dispensation of justice. It is undisputed that it

will impact the nation, and encourage the common man, since we are reputed to be the last

hope of the common man. I know we are on the right track, and when we move in the right

direction, we are certain to reach our destination, and we will get there.

25 “.. It will go well for those who convict the guilty; rich blessings will be showered on

them” .

Proverbs 24: 25: NLT

Your Honours and Your worships, of the Nigerian Magistracy, I wish you all, a most

rewarding time, at this Orientation Course for Newly appointed Magistrates.

The privilege of addressing you, has indeed been mine.

I thank you for your attention.

Adejumoke Olagbegi-Adelabu(Mrs) ACIArbChief Magistrate, Lagos State Judiciary

Chairman - Magistrates’ Association of Nigeria, Lagos Branch

64

SAMPLE RULINGS AND JUDGMENTS

IN THE MAGISTRATE COURT OF LAGOS STATE

IN THE IKEJA MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT

HOLDING AT SPECIAL OFFENCES COURT

COURT 6, OGBA

TODAY TUESDAY 11TH DAY JUNE 2019

BEFORE HER HONOUR MRS.A.B OLAGBEGI- ADELABU

CHIEF MAGISTRATE

Charge No. SOC/

COMISSIONER OF POLICE

VS

JOSHUA PAUL

SAMPLE RULING ON NO CASE SUBMISSION

The court has heard evidence from the prosecution team. The issue of weight to be attached to the evidence of the

prosecution witnesses is not in issue at this stage. The submission of learned counsel for the defendant on the point is

premature at this stage as it is only suitable for address stage. The defendant is to provide the Honourable Court with

his own side of the story since a prima facie case has been made out against him. See R V Coker and others (1952)

20 WACA. The no case submission is hereby overruled. The case is for defence.

MRS. A.B. OLAGBEGI ADELABU

CHIEF MAGISTRATE

11/6/19

65

IN THE MAGISTRATE COURT OF LAGOS STATEIN THE IKEJA MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT

HOLDEN AT COURT 6, OGBABEFORE HIS HONOUR MRS.A.B OLAGBEGI- ADELABU

CHIEF MAGISTRATETODAY WEDNESDAY, 8TH DAY OF MAY, 2019

SUITNO: MIK/3367/18BETWEEN:ALHAJI ISSA RASHEED ROWOSAYE…………..JUDGMENT CREDITOR/APPLICANT

AND

MR. LAOYE B. BABAWALE ..............................JUDGMENT DEBTOR/RESPONDENT

Parties absentEmmanuel Ogbtise Esq appears for the Judgment Creditor/ ApplicantNo legal representation for the Judgment Debtor Respondent.

SAMPLE RULING/ORDER TO FORCE OPEN

Having heard Learned Counsel for the Judgment Creditor Applicant “Emmanuel Ogbtise Esq“ move the motion dated 8th May, 2019 for an order directing the Deputy Sheriff to force open the entrance door of the subject matter of the judgment of this court and there being nothing to the contrary, I find that granting this application will enable the Judgment Creditor to reap the fruit of his Judgment.

Accordingly, It is hereby ordered that the deputy sheriff direct the sheriffs of the Honourable Court in company of at least one member of the Nigeria police to force open the door of the Three Bedroom Flat, at No 20, Prince Adegoroye Street, Agbado Okeodo Lagos State Forthwith. Pursuant to the Judgment of this Honorable Court delivered on the 2nd Day of October 2018 and take inventory of all items found therein If any, same are to be kept in the custody of the deputy sheriff if need be. I so rule.

MRS.A.B OLAGBEGI- ADELABUCHIEF MAGISTRATE

8/5/19

66

IN THE MAGISTRATE COURT OF LAGOS STATE

IN THE IKEJA MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT

HOLDEN AT COURT 6, OGBA

TODAY TUESDAY 26TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2019

BEFORE HIS HONOUR MRS.A.B OLAGBEGI-ADELABU

CHIEF MAGISTRATE

SUIT NO: MIK/3252/18

BETWEEN:

RAVE ET AL LIMITED.......................................CLAIMANT/JUDGMENT CREDITOR

AND

FRIIFLOW MEDIA LTD

SAMUEL MOBOLORUNDURO -----------------------------DEFENDANTS/JUDGMENT DEBTOR

AND:

ACCESS BANK PLC

DIAMOND BANK PLC

ECOBANK PLC

ENTERPRISE BANK LTD

FIDELITY BANK PLC

FIRST BANK NIGERIA LTD

FCMB PLC

GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC

HERITAGE BANK LTD

KEYSTONE BANK LTD GARNISHEES

POLARIS BANK PLC

STANBIC IBTC NIGERIA LTD

STANDARD CHARTERED BANK NIGERIAL LIMITED

STERLING BANK LTD

UBA PLC

UNION BANK PLC

UNITY BANK PLC

WEMA BANK PLC

ZENITH BANK PLC

67

SAMPLE RULING (DECREE NISI GARNISHEE PROCEEDINGS )

Having heard James Edem Learned Counsel for the Judgment Creditor/ Applicant move

his exparte motion for a Decree Nisi, pursuant to the judgment of her honour Chief

Magistrate Mrs A.B Olagbegi- Adelabu delivered on 6th December, 2018.

Decree Nisi is hereby granted. All the 19 garnishees are to show cause why the decree

nisi order should not be made absolute against them individually.

Furthermore, all the garnishees are to depose to an affidavit indicating whether the

judgment debtor has account(s) with them and the sum outstanding in those accounts.

(Authority)

A copy of the judgment debtor’s bank statement should be exhibited and annexed.

The order nisi is made returnable in 14days, and is to be served on the judgment debtor.

The garnishee proceeding is adjourned to Tuesday 12th March, 2019 for hearing.

MRS.A.B OLAGBEGI-ADELABU

CHIEF MAGISTRATE

26/02/19

68

IN THE MAGISTRATE COURT OF LAGOS STATE

IN THE IKEJA MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT

HOLDEN AT COURT 6, OGBA

TODAY THURSDAY 23RD DAY OF MAY, 2019

BEFORE HIS HONOUR MRS.A.B OLAGBEGI-ADELABU

CHIEF MAGISTRATE

SUIT NO: MIK/3252/18

BETWEEN:

RAVE ET AL LIMITED.......................................CLAIMANT/JUDGMENT CREDITOR

AND

FRIIFLOW MEDIA LTD

SAMUELMOBOLORUNDURO -------------------------DEFENDANT/JUDGMENT DEBTOR

AND:

ACCESS BANK PLC

DIAMOND BANK PLC

ECOBANK PLC

ENTERPRISE BANK LTD

FIDELITY BANK PLC

FIRST BANK NIGERIA LTD

FCMB PLC

GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC

HERITAGE BANK LTD

KEYSTONE BANK LTD GARNISHEES

POLARIS BANK PLC

STANBIC IBTC NIGERIA LTD

STANDARD CHARTERED BANK NIGERIAL LIMITED

STERLING BANK LTD

UBA PLC

UNION BANK PLC

UNITY BANK PLC

WEMA BANK PLC

ZENITH BANK PLC

69

SAMPLE RULING DECREE ABSOLUTE (GARNISHEE PROCEEDINGS)

There is affidavit evidence before the honourable court which the court will rely on to advice at its decision when

making the order Decree Nisi absolute. Accordingly having perused the affidavit to show cause field by the 4 th

Garnishee Enterprise Bank Ltd 6th Garnishee, First bank Nigeria Ltd 8th Garnishee, Guaranty Trust bank plc and 9th

Garnishee Heritage Bank Ltd.

The above 4th Garnishee Enterprise Bank Ltd, 6th Garnishee First bank Nigeria Ltd, 8th Garnishee Guaranty Trust

Bank Plc, and 9th Garnishee Heritage Bank Ltd basically having disclosed that the judgement debtors do not

maintain an account with them, all the aforementioned four Garnishee i.e 4thEnterprise Bank Ltd, 6thFirst Bank

Nig Ltd 8th Guaranty Trust bank and 9th Heritage Bank Ltd are hereby discharged.

It is further ordered that the 12th Garnishee Stanbic IBTC Nig Ltd having disclosed in its affidavit to show cause

deposed to by one Peter Omefe that some sums are available as credit balance in three different accounts

belonging to the 1st judgement debtor as follows.

1. ₦207.74k

2. $4. 58c

3. $33.17c

The order decree Nisi made out against them is hereby made absolute in the above sums disclosed. It is further

ordered that the 12th Garnishee Stanbic IBTC is to make the said sums of money available to the judgement

creditor by transfer or whatever means necessary since they have deposed to an affidavit to the effect that they will

not be able to raise a bank draft.

Having perused the 2nd Garnishee Diamond Bank Plc affidavit to show cause deposed to by Basil Owolabi to the

effect that the 1st judgement debtor maintains accounts with them and the following sums are the various closing

balance in the three separate accounts i.e.

70

1. ₦1, 401.00k

2. USD 60.78c

3. GBP 7.678

It is hereby ordered that the Decree Nisi made out against them is hereby made absolute in

the above mentioned sums.

The 2nd Garnishee Diamond Bank Plc is to make these sums available to the judgement

creditor forthwith.

Since other banks have previously been discharged the Garnishee proceeding is hereby

struck out.

MRS.A.B OLAGBEGI-ADELABU

CHIEF MAGISTRATE

23/05/19

71

IN THE MAGISTRATE COURT OF LAGOS STATE

IN THE IKEJA MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT

HOLDEN AT COURT 6, OGBA

TODAY TUESDAY 26TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2019

BEFORE HIS HONOUR MRS.A.B OLAGBEGI-ADELABU

CHIEF MAGISTRATE

SUIT NO: MIK/4478/16

BETWEEN:

MRS JULIANAH ODUJOKE................................CLAIMANT

AND

MR OKEDARA SOLOMON..................................DEFENDANT

AND

ACCESS BANK PLC

DAIMOND BANK PLC

FIRST BANK PLC

GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC -------------GARNISHEES

STERLING BANK PLC

UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC

ZENITH BANK PLC

RULING DECREE NISI (GARNISHEE PROCEEDINGS)

Having heard C.c Agu Learned Counsel for the Judgment Creditor/Applicant move his exparte motion for a decree nisi

to enable them attach the judgment sum being judgment of his honour MR. T.O Shomade delivered on the 14th August

2018.

72

Decree Nisi is hereby ordered against the 7 garnishees listed above.

The garnishee are to show cause within 14days why the order nisi should not be made

absolute against them individually by deposing to an affidavit to show cause whether the

judgment debtor has funds in their possession.

A copy of the judgment debtor’s bank statement should be exhibited and annexed.

The decree nisi is to be served on the judgment debtor and the garnishee proceeding is

adjourned to 12th march, 2019 for hearing.

There shall be no order as to cost.

MRS.A.B OLAGBEGI-ADELABU

CHIEF MAGISTRATE

26/02/19

73

IN THE MAGISTRATE COURT OF LAGOS STATE

IN THE IKEJA MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT

HOLDEN AT COURT 6, OGBA

TODAY TUESDAY 12TH DAY OF MARCH, 2019

BEFORE HIS HONOUR MRS.A.B OLAGBEGI-ADELABU

CHIEF MAGISTRATE

SUIT NO: MIK/4478/16

BETWEEN:

MRS JULIANAH ODUJOKE................................CLAIMANT

AND

MR OKEDARA SOLOMON..................................DEFENDANT

AND

ACCESS BANK PLC

DAIMOND BANK PLC

FIRST BANK PLC

GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC

STERLING BANK PLC

UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC

ZENITH BANK PLC

Parties absent

C.C Agu for the Judgment Creditor

Valentine Ugwuoke 6th Garnishee United Bank for Africa Plc

Ojo Olubunmi for the 5th Garnishee Sterling Bank

Abimbola Johnson for the 1st and 2nd Garnishee Access Bank Plc and Diamond bank Plc

Femi Olude for the 3rd Garnishee First Bank Plc

74

Court: Upon the application of the counsel for the Judgment Creditor and having

perused the affidavit to show cause deposed to by the 1st Garnishee Access Bank Plc, 5th

Garnishee Sterling Bank Plc and 6th Garnishee United Bank for Africa Plc wherein they

stated that the Judgment Debtor does not maintain an account with them the 1st

Garnishee Access Bank Plc, 5th Garnishee Sterling Bank Plc and 6th Garnishee United

Bank for Africa Plc are hereby discharged.

Judgment Creditor Counsel: For the 3rd Garnishee they have deposed, we will file the

affidavit of service before the next adjourned date.

Court: Case adjourned to Tuesday 2nd of April 2019 for hearing.

MRS.A.B OLAGBEGI-ADELABU

CHIEF MAGISTRATE

12/03/19

75

IN THE MAGISTRATE COURT OF LAGOS STATE

IN THE IKEJA MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT

HOLDEN AT COURT 6, OGBA

TODAY THURSDAY 16TH DAY OF MAY, 2019

BEFORE HIS HONOUR MRS.A.B OLAGBEGI-ADELABU

CHIEF MAGISTRATE

SUIT NO: MIK/4478/16

BETWEEN:

MRS JULIANAH ODUJOKE................................CLAIMANT

AND

MR OKEDARA SOLOMON..................................DEFENDANT

AND

ACCESS BANK PLC

DAIMOND BANK PLC

FIRST BANK PLC

GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC GARNISHEES

STERLING BANK PLC

UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC

ZENITH BANK PLC

Parties Absent

C.C Agu appears for the Judgment Creditor Kola Akosile appears for the 4th Garnishee Guaranty Trust Bank Plc

Abimbola Johnson appears for the 2nd Garnishee Diamond Bank Plc Holds brief for O.U Odega for the 3rd Garnishee

First Bank Plc Linda Asuquo appears for the 7th Garnishee Zenith Bank Plc

76

Judgment Creditor Counsel: All the Garnishees have filed their affidavit to show cause except for the 3rd Garnishee First Bank Plc, All the

others have disclosed that there’s no fund in the bank.

In view of this, I apply that the 1st Garnishee Access Bank Plc, 2nd Garnishee Diamond Bank Plc, 4th Garnishee Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, 5th

Garnishee Sterling Bank Plc, 6th Garnishee United Bank for Africa Plc, and the 7th Garnishee Zenith Bank Plc be discharged.

RULING

Upon the application of Learned Counsel for Judgment Creditor and having perused the affidavit to show cause filed pursuant to the order of

the court by the following garnishees, wherein they had stated that the Judgment Debtor does not maintain an account with them, the said

garnishee banks listed below

1st Garnishee Access Bank Plc

2nd Garnishee Diamond Bank Plc

4th Garnishee Guaranty Trust Bank Plc

5th Garnishee Sterling Bank Plc

6th Garnishee United Bank for Africa Plc

7th Garnishee Zenith Bank Plc are hereby discharged.

Judgment Creditor Counsel: With respect to the 3rd Garnishee, the affidavit shows that they have some cash. We apply that the order be

made absolute on the Bank.

RULING DECREE ABSOLUTE

COURT: Having complied with the order of this Honourable Court to show cause by deposing to an affidavit stating the balance in the

Judgment Debtor’s Account with them, and also having annexed the Judgment Debtor’s statement of account in proof thereof.

Accordingly, the order Decree Nisi made out against the 3rd Garnishee on the 26th February, 2019 is hereby made absolute as follows against

the 3rd Garnishee First Bank Plc with the sum of ₦4,483.10k.

Judgment Creditor Counsel: In the light of the order of court and there being no further matter. I think the case is concluded. We thank

the Honourable Court for the way and manner the suit was handled.

MRS.A.B OLAGBEGI-ADELABU

CHIEF MAGISTRATE

16/05/19

77

IN THE MAGISTRATE COURT OF LAGOS STATE

IN THE IKEJA MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT

HOLDEN AT COURT 6, OGBA

TODAY TUESDAY 19TH DAY OF MARCH, 2019

BEFORE HIS HONOUR MRS.A.B OLAGBEGI-ADELABU

CHIEF MAGISTRATE

SUIT NO: MIK/3929/18

BETWEEN:

MRS MADUABUCHI CECILIA NGOZI.....................................CLAIMANT

AND

MR IBITOYE BABALOLA.....................................................DEFENDANT

Parties present

Kayode Rufus and P.E Ebenezer Esq appears for the claimant

Wole Ashagidigbi Esq appears for the defendant

CONSENT JUDGMENT

This is a tenancy matter the claimant claims possession and arrears of rent in the sum of ₦475,000.00 from 1st November 2016 to 31st May

2018 and mense profit at the rate of ₦25,000.00 per annum from 1st of June 2018 until possession is given up.

The claimant filed a written deposition on oath and trial commenced on the 28th of February 2019. Parties however filed terms of

settlement today and the defendant informed the hon court he agreed and also confirmed his signature.

Upon the application of learned counsel for the defendant terms of settlement dated 19th March, 2019 endorsed by parties and their counsel

is hereby entered as judgment of this Honourable Court.

MRS A.B. OLAGBEGI ADELABU

CHIEF MAGISTRATE

19/03/19

78

IN THE MAGISTRATE COURT OF LAGOS STATE

IN THE IKEJA MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT

HOLDEN AT COURT 6, OGBA

TODAY TUESDAY 19TH DAY OF MARCH, 2019

BEFORE HIS HONOUR MRS.A.B OLAGBEGI-ADELABU

CHIEF MAGISTRATE

SUIT NO: MIK/3930/18

BETWEEN

MRS MADUABUCHI CECILIA NGOZI...............................CLAIMANT

AND

MR ALIU EROJE........................................................DEFENDANT

Parties present

Kayode Rufus and P.E Ebenezer Esq appear for the claimant

Wole Ashagidigbi Esq appears for the defendant

CONSENT JUDGMENT

This is a tenancy matter wherein the claimant claims possession and ₦325,000.00 being arrears of rent from 1st

April 2017 to 31st May 2018 and Mense profit at the rate of ₦25,000.00 per annum form 1st June 2018 until

possession is given up.

Trial commenced on the 28th of February 2019 and the claimant tendered four documents marked Exhibit 1-4.

The case was adjourned for continuation of trial specifically cross examination of PW1 and defence.

Parties have now filled terms of settlement, the defendant informed the hon court he understands the terms and

signed it. Upon the application of learned counsel for the defendant terms of settlement dated 19th March 2019

endorsed by parties and their counsel is hereby entered as judgment of this Honourable Court.

MRS A.B. OLAGBEGI ADELABU

CHIEF MAGISTRATE

19/03/19

79

IN THE MAGISTRATE COURT OF LAGOS STATE

IN THE IKEJA MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT

HOLDEN AT COURT 6, OGBA

TODAY TUESDAY 19TH DAY OF MARCH, 2019

BEFORE HIS HONOUR MRS.A.B OLAGBEGI-ADELABU

CHIEF MAGISTRATE

SUIT NO: MIK/1810/18

BETWEEN

CHIEF TUNDE OMOTOSHO................................................CLAIMANT

AND

MR. OJUKWU DAVID......................................................DEFENDANT

Parties present

Femi Adefuye Esq appears in person for the claimant

No legal representation for the defendant

Claimant Counsel: We have before the Honourable court terms of settlement dated 28th February, 2019. We urge the Honourable court to

adopt same as its consent judgment.

Defendant: I signed and I agree

CONSENT JUDGMENT

This is a tenancy matter filed on the 27th of March, 2018. The suit was adjourned for trial on a few occasions and parties began to have

settlement talks; doing which the defendant made some payments totalling ₦300,000.00 but eventually trial commenced on the 6th of

November 2018 where the claimant tendered four documents in evidence and parties resumed settlement talks which resulted in

filing of terms of settlement.

Upon the application of learned counsel for the claimant, terms of settlement dated 28th of February 2019 endorsed by parties is hereby

entered as judgment of this Honourable court.

MRS A.B. OLAGBEGI ADELABU

CHIEF MAGISTRATE

19/03/19

80

IN THE MAGISTRATE COURT OF LAGOS STATE

IN THE IKEJA MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT

HOLDEN AT COURT 8, OGBA

BEFORE HER HONOUR MRS A.B. OLAGBEGI-ADELABU

CHIEF MAGISTRATE

TODAY FRIDAY 21ST DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2018

BETWEEN SUIT NO MIK/1618/2018

MR JIMOH SOLEYE ……………………………... CLAIMANT

AND

ALHAJI SULAIMAN ABUBAKAR / OCCUPIERS …………DEFENDANT

Claimant is present. Defendant is absent.

F.D. Bakenne-Salami esq appears for the Claimant.

No Legal representation for the Defendant.

JUDGEMENT

The Claimant herein being entitled to possession of a Three Bedroom Flat with appurtenances situated at No. 17, Olojo Street, Alakuko,

Lagos State, is claiming from him possession of same and Naira 75,000.00 being arrears of rent from 1st October 2017 to 28th February,

2018. The Claim is also for mesne profit at the rate of N15,000.00 naira per month from 1st of March, 2018 until possession is given up.

The writ gives the annual rental value of the property as N180,000.00 and states that the defendant is a Tenant at Will.

There is proof of service of the writ on the defendant it is in the court’s file dated 23rd of April 2018. The Defendant never attended

court and was never represented by Counsel. At the trial of the action, the Claimant’s Attorney led evidence and relied on his

written deposition on oath with the annexed exhibits when he testified namely:

Exhibit 1:Power of Attorney dated 9th July, 2014

Exhibit 2: Letter of Authority dated 12th February 2018

Exhibit 3: Copy of notice to quit dated 12th of February, 2018

Exhibit 4: Copy of 7 day’s notice dated 27th of February, 2018

PW1 who is the claimant’s Attorney informed the court that the defendant is a tenant at will who pays Naira 15,000-00 monthly and Naira

180,000-00 per annumn. PW1 stated that the defendant is in arrears of rent for five months from 1st of October 2017 to the 28th of

February 2018 and refused to pay despite request for payment .

81

PW1 added that the claimant now needs to renovate the premises for his personal use.

He stated further that despite the expiration of the tenancy as well as service of both the quit notice and the seven days notice on him, the

defendant refused to vacate the premises.

Having listened carefully to the un-controverted evidence led by the claimant’s Attorney and having studied the exhibits tendered especially

the statutory notices, I find that the defendant’s tenancy has indeed been determined. I am also satisfied that the defendant is aware of this

suit as evidenced by the proof of service of the writ and the Hearing notice on the defendant being in the court’s file. It does therefore appear

that the defendant does not dispute the claimant’s case against him.

Having therefore listened to the claimant’s un-contradicted evidence and there being nothing to the contrary and for the reasons stated

above. I am satisfied that the claimant has complied with the Provisions of sections 25 and 27 of the Tenancy law of Lagos State, the

claimant is therefore entitled to possession, the defendant not having shown any good cause to the contrary.

It is settled law that where a plaintiff adduces oral evidence that establishes his claim against a defendant in terms of the writ and the

evidence is not rebutted by the defendant the plaintiff is entitled to judgment see the case of NWABWOKU Vs OTTIH (1961) ANLR PT 247

page 336 at 354. It is trite law that where evidence is led to the establishing of certain/ facts and same is unchallenged and uncontroverted by

the defendant, the defendant having been given adequate and reasonable opportunity to defend himself the onus of proof is satisfied by

minimal proof since there is nothing on the other side of the scale. See BURAIMOH Vs BAMGBOSE (1989) 3 NWLR PT 109 AT 352. See

also America CYNAMID Vs VITALITY PHARM LTD (1991) 2 NWLR PT 171 18. Furthermore, the courts have also held that where no

evidence is led on a point in issue, the court has to resolve the point against the party who fails to adduce it. See the case of OLUJINLE &

ORS Vs ADEPEGBA &ORS (1988) NSCC PT 1 (1988) 2 NWLR PT 75, 238

.

Consequently, judgment is hereby given in favour of the Claimant. It is adjudged that the defendant ALHAJI SULAIMAN

ABUBAKAR / OCCUPIERS is to vacate the THREE BEDROOM FLAT with appurtenances situated at No. 17, Olojo Street, Alakuko,

Lagos State, on or before the 19th of October 2018.

It is hereby ordered that the defendant is to pay the claimant Naira 75,000.00 being arrears of rent from 1st October 2017 to 28th

February, 2018 and mesne profit at the rate of N15,000.00 naira per month from 1st of March, 2018 until possession is given up.

The claimant is awarded cost of this action assessed at N20, 000.00

……………………………………………………………………….

A.B OLAGBEGI-ADELABU (MRS)

CHIEF MAGISTRATE

21st September, 2018

82

REFERENCES

1 the more I research, the more I see the need to research more. Learning is indeed dynamic and when we are willing

to learn we tend to learn more. Chief Magistrate Adejumoke Olagbegi-Adelabu.

2 culled from Article on Judgment writing Quotes from The Salient Features of the Art of Writing Orders and

Judgments by JusticeT.S.SIVAGNANAMLecture delivered on 11th April 2010 at Tamil Nadu State Judicial Academy

during Reflecting Training Programme for Newly Recruited Civil Judge (Junior Division)

3 Paper on Judicial Ethics delivered on 1/12/10 at the NJI workshop for Judges of the Lower Courts in Nigeria which i

had the privilege to attend. By Hon Justice I.A. Umezulike OFR Chief Judge Enugu State

4 Being a paper presented at the 2012 ADR workshop for Magistrates in Lagos State, Hon. Justice Latifat A. F.

Oluyemi (Mrs.)

5 Hon J Obisike Oji High Court of Abia State in her article published in the NJI Law Journal (2011) volume 5

6 S. I. strong in his article titled writing Reasoned Decisions and Opinions: A guide for novice, experienced and

foreign judges stated appropriately.

7 See LIVINGSTON ARMYZAGE EDUCATING JUDGES: TOWARDS A NEW MODEL OF CONTINUING

JUDICIAL LEARNING 30 (1996) S. I. strong in his article titled writing Reasoned Decisions and Opinions: A guide

for novice, experienced and foreign judges stated appropriately.

8 Hon. Justice Alfred P.E. Awala, ( a former Magistrate) in his book titled “The Nigerian Magistrate in Action”

9 held in the case of R. V Rand (1886) L.R.I.O.B. 230 see also Brett A.G. CJN in Obadara v The President, Ibadan

West District Grade B Court. See also per Hon Justice Niki Tobi JSC (as he then was) in Carribean Trading & Fidelity

Corporation v NNPC {2002} 5 SC pt 1 P.21

10 See “The Art and Science of Judging: Judgment and Judgment writing- Civil” By Hon Justice Nnaemaka Agu, JSC

(Unpublished)

11 Section 308 (1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State 2015

12 Section 308(2) of the 2015 ACJ law, oral judgment with brief record of reasons, Section 311 (1) ACJL which

provides for sentence and sentencing hearing, Section 314 (1) ACJL compensation for victims, Section 314 (2) ACJL

additional hearing to determine quantum of compensation.

13 Section 315 Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2015 see also Section 60 (3) of the Magistrate Court Law 2009

83

14 Our law reports are full of such cases.

15 My Lord, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon, Justice Walter S.N. Onnoghen GCON held while delivering the lead

Judgment in the case of ENAWAK PONM WHEM & 4 OTHERS and Chief EDOKPAYI AIFUWA and 4 Others

reported as [2006] 21 WRN 1 .see also Nnajifir v. Ukonu (1986) 4 NWLR (Pt. 36) 505, Adigun v A-G Oyo State

(1987) 1 NWLR (Pt. 53) 678, Okonkwo v. Udoh (1997)9 NWLR (Pt. 519) 16.” Per Onnoghen, JSC , CJN [Pp. 29 -30]

lines, 40 – 15.

16 The Art of Writing Judgments* By Hon’ble Shri M. A. Bakshi, Vice President, ITAT, Chandigarh Bench

17 Quotes from The Salient Features of the Art of Writing Orders and

Judgments by JusticeT.S.SIVAGNANAMLecture delivered on 11th April 2010 at Tamil Nadu State Judicial Academy

during Reflecting Training Programme for Newly Recruited Civil Judge (Junior Division)

18 A south African case (A1105/2005)[2008] ZAGPH 38; 2007 (2) SACR 653 (w); [2008] 2 All SA 657 (w)

19 The fact that the Magistrate Court is a court of summary jurisdiction even though it is also a court of first instance

and a trial court there are some fine details

20 Hon Justice Niki Tobi wrote about these in his book The Nigerian Judge

21 Paper on Judicial Ethics delivered on 1/12/10 at the NJI workshop for Judges of the Lower Courts in Nigeria

which i had the privilege to attend. By Hon Justice I.A. Umezulike OFR Chief Judge Enugu State

22 see the decision of the Supreme Court in CHIEF BROWN UZUDA & ORS V MR EZEKIEL EBIGAH & ORS

(2009) NSCQR 35 at 58

Per Oguntade JSC See also Akintan JSC in Ogba v Onwuzo (2005) 14 NWLR (Pt 945) 331 at 334-335

old13 Tobi JSC

14 Hon Justice Niki Tobi JSC (as he then was) in his book titled The Nigerian Judge wrote about Scope and Contents

of Judgment.15 [1987] 3 NWLR (Pt. 61) 432 Per Hon Justice Oputa JSC (as he then was)

16 The learned Justice of the Supreme Court praised the way Gbadeyan J, set about writing the judgment in the case.

See also Onwuka 7 Ors v Ediale and Anor [1989] 1 N.W.L.R. (Pt. 96) 182, Oniah & Ors v Chief Onyia [1989] 1

N.W.L.R. (Pt. 99)514.

17 Civil Litigation: A Quick Reference Guide to Substantive Law and Procedure, By Honourable Justice Oludotun

Adefope-Okojie See the case of Adeyeye v. Ajiboye (1987) 3NWLR pt 61 page 432 at 451 paras A-C per

Aniagolu JSC.

84

18 lecture titled “The Art and Science of Judging delivered at the Continuing Education in the Judiciary for Judicial

Officers held in Zaria in October 1989. Hon. Justice UCHE OMO JSC (as he then was) “listed contents of a good

judgment in a court of first instance in the order set out:

19 Hon J Obisike Oji High Court of Abia State in her article published in the NJI Law Journal (2011) volume 5

20 Halsbury’s Laws of England, 4th Edition, Volume 26 P. 260,

Old 21 Hon J Obisike Oji High Court of Abia State in her article published in the NJI Law Journal (2011) volume 5

22 [1986] 5 NWLR (Pt. 46) 978

23 Niki Tobi JSC (as he then was) in his book The Nigerian Judge

24 NIKI TOBI p246 The Nigerian Judge.

23 His lordship Hon. Justice NIKI TOBI JSC (as he then was) in his book “The Nigerian Judge” referred to a lecture

titled “The Art and Science of Judging delivered at the Continuing Education in the Judiciary for Judicial Officers held

in Zaria in October 1989. Hon. Justice UCHE OMO JSC (as he then was) “contended that a good judgment in a court

of first instance, should contain the following in the order set out:

24 Hon J Obisike Oji High Court of Abia State gave a detailed analysis of the decision in her article published in the

NJI Law Journal (2011) volume 5

25 Hon J Obisike Oji High Court of Abia State in her article published in the NJI Law Journal (2011) volume 5

26 LOPEZ case a decision of the supreme court. The magistrates judgment was too short the supreme court’s ruling

was also extremely short. Conviction quashed !

27 See per I.F. Ogbuagu J.S.C. In Fed Min of Health & Anor v Comet Shipping Agencies Ltd (2009) 39 NSCQR 69 at

83

28 See Ojogbue v Nnubia [1972] 6 s.c. 227

29 See Owe v Oshinbajo [1965] 1 All N.L.R. 72. Adeosun v Babalola (1972) 5 S.C. 292, Udofe v Agusisua (1973) 1

S.C. 119; Zaria v Small (1973) 6 S.C. 61; Ochonma v Usoni [1965] N.M.L.R. 321

30 In Chief Registrar v Vamos, (1976) 1 S.C. 33

31 See also Elumeze v Elumeze (1969) 1 All N.L.R. 311.

32 Hon J Obisike Oji High Court of Abia State in her article published in the NJI Law Journal (2011) volume 5 where

she listed circumstances that court may confuse matters.

33 “Something Light” to indicate that what is being done is not proper evaluation of evidence. The phrase something

light was first used in a song by falz a lawyer or legally trained musician.

85

34 Oladele v N.A. (2001) 36 WRN 68

35 See the case of MINI LODGE LTD & Anor v NGEI & Anor supra at page 22

36 (1982) 7 S.C. 60 at 62

37 See West African Breweries Ltd v Savannah Ventures Ltd & Ors (2002) 5 SCNJ 269, 287

38 In CHIEF FRANK EBBA V WASHI OGODO & Anor (1984) 4 S.C. N.L.R 372 Per KAYODE ESO JSC

remarked

39 (1994) 7 NWLR Pt 359, 635 at 669.

40 See Dennis Ivienaghor v Henry Osato Bazuaye & Anor (1999) 6 SCNJ 235 at 243-244; see also Overseas

construction Co. Ltd v Creek Enterprises Ltd (1985) 16 NSCC (Pt. 2) 1371 at 1375

41 (1994) 2 NWLR Pt. 827 @ 47

42 42 See Buraimoh v Bamgbose (1989) 3 NWLR Pt 109 352, American Cynamid v Vitality Pharm Ltd (1991) 2

NWLR Pt 171, 18

43 See Bendel State Pilgrims Welfare Board v Irawo (1995) 1 NWLR Pt. 309 @ 144

44 See Martchem Ind. Nig Ltd v M.F. Kent West Africa Ltd (2005) 22 NSCQR (Pt. 11) 1037 at 1047.

45 Per Amaizu JCA in Ndidi v State (2005) 44 WRN P.169 lines 20-30

46 Per Amaizu JCA in Ndidi v State supra p.172

47 Hon J Obisike Oji High Court of Abia State in her article published in the NJI Law Journal (2011) volume 5

48 See Alhaji Saratu Adeleke & Ors v Sanusi Iyanda & Ors (2001) 6 SCNJ 101 at 118-119

49 A.O. Odionyenma esq a Magistrate, in his article titled Magisterial responsibilities and Judicial Demands: An

Overview published in the NJI Law Journal (2011) Volume 5

50 see MR IGNATUS ANYANWU & ORS v MR ALOYSIUS UZOWUAKA & ORS (2009) 40 NSCQR 1 at 45

51 See the case of MINI LODGE LTD & Anor v CHIEF OLUKA NGEI & Anor (2010) 41 NSCQR (Pt. 1) 1 at 20

where Evaluation was defined.

52 My Lord Uwais JSC, CJN (as he then was) held in Isaac Stephen v The State (1986) N.W.L.R. (Pt 46.) 978

53 “in the case of Isaac Stephen is the state [1986] 5 NWLR pt. 46 978 at 1005

86

54 This ratio applies with equal force to the Magistrate Court in Criminal Judgment.” Awala J - The Magistrate in

action.

55 and follow what the Supreme Court stated in Mogaji v. Odofin (1978) 4 SC 91 at 94 – 95.

56 See Sign v State (1988) 2 NWLR Pt 77 @ 475, see also Adelumola v State (1988) 1 NWLR Pt 73, 683, See also

Okoji v The State (1989) 1 NWLR Pt 100 642 per Augie JCA (As she then was) at P173 lines 20-30.

57 It also includes the decision of the court on the counterclaim if any as well as cost. In criminal matters it will also

include the sentence, only if the defendant is found guilty of the offence.

67 (1995) 5 NWLR 125,

68 NIKI TOBI JSC (as he then was) in his book The Nigerian Judge

69 [2002] 5 SC [Pt 1] P. 21, - Though His Lordship Hon Justice Niki Tobi appreciated our jurisprudence as an off shoot

of the common law tradition of England, he wrote strongly against too much reliance on English authorities in at least

two notable cases: CHIBGU v. TONIMAS NIG. LTD[2006] 9 NWLR [Pt. 984] 189 at 213 and CARRIBEAN

TRADING & FIDELITY CORPORATION v. NNPC (Supra).

70 (1989) 3 SC (Pt. 1) 79;

71 (1989) 4 SCNJ(Pt.11) 146 at 179;

72 (1987) 18 NSCC (Pt 11) 1265 at 1301,

73 See the case of N.A. Williams & Ors v HOPE RISING VOLUNTARY SOCIETY (1982) 1 All NLR (Pt 1) 1 at 2

74 (1962) A.C. 152 at 160

75 Hon Justice Niki Tobi’s comments on the appropraite length of a judgment at page 247 of his book, “The Nigerian

Judge”.

76 Awala J. at pg. 97 The Nigerian Magistrate in action.

77 (2003) 4 NWLR (Pt. 80) 549;

78 See Hon Justice Omo, Uche., “The Art and Science of Judging” Lecture delivered at the Continuing Education in

the judiciary for Judicial Officers, held at Zaria in october, 1989, pp6-7 Hon Justice Niki Tobi referred while writing on

the appropraite length of a judgment at page 248 of his book, “The Nigerian Judge”.

79 held in the case of R. V Rand (1886) L.R.I.O.B. 230 see also Brett A.G. CJN in Obadara v The President, Ibadan

West District Grade B Court. See also per Hon Justice Niki Tobi JSC (as he then was) in Carribean Trading & Fidelity

Corporation v NNPC {2002} 5 SC pt 1 P.21

80 (1968) ALL NLR 356

87

81 The Honourable Justice Linda Dessau, of the Family court of Australia and His Honour

Judge Tom Wodak, of County Court of Victoria.

82 In the words of Chief Justice Mukharji:-

83 (1998) 52 WIR 487 (UKPC)

84 [Balraj Taneja V. Sunil Madan, (1999) 8 SCC 396]

89 Section 308 (1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State 2015

90 Section 308(2) of the 2015 ACJ law, oral judgment with brief record of reasons, Section

311 (1) ACJL which provides for sentence and sentencing hearing, Section 314 (1) ACJL

compensation for victims, Section 314 (2) ACJL additional hearing to determine quantum

of compensation.

91 Section 315 Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2015 see also Section 60 (3) of the

Magistrate Court Law 2009

92 Section 60 (2) of the Magistrate Court Law 2009.

93 Awala J. Page 95. The Nigerian Magistrate in Action

94 See:- the case of Ariori Vs Elemo (1983) 1 SC 30 Mrs Olufolake Oshin, a Chief

Magistrate Admin in the Lagos State Judiciary gave a detailed synopsis of this case in her

book Practice and Procedure in the Magistrate Court.

95 Per Idigbe JSC (as he then was) in ARIORI v ELEMO (1983) 1 SCNLR page 1.

88

89